Senior biology major Katelyn Bennett, concentrating in molecular and cellular biology and biotechnology with a minor in chemistry, secured a competitive internship with the Navy Medical Research Unit in San Antonio, Texas.
Katelyn discovered the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program during her junior year through communication with her school’s academic and career advising center. Discovering the internship was just the beginning of the challenge for Katelyn. She continued to meticulously research and prepare her application, considering the high standards of the internship. She even reached out to previous participants of the internship program, who gave her advice to be thorough and ask questions during the application process.
Initially applying for an in-person biomedical research internship in San Antonio, Katelyn reapplied for the 2023 Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Fall Engagement, opting for a virtual experience focused on clinical research. In her role, she investigates yeast spread in healthcare settings, contributing to prevention methods to safeguard recovering patients. The team conducts insightful journal club meetings to discuss their findings.
Katelyn credits her achievement to professional development initiatives at Merrimack, noting that the Professional Development Retreat was, “super helpful,” especially when creating and perfecting her personal brand. Career advisors, especially Laura Thibodeau and Stephanie Satori, played crucial roles in refining her resume for medical and biology fields.
Looking ahead, Katelyn aspires to secure research positions in clinical, hospital-based settings, with long-term goals of attending medical school. Her advice to fellow students: “Definitely put yourself out there, even if you don’t think the opportunity is for you. Apply, because the worst thing is they might say no.” Katelyn emphasizes the importance of personal branding, networking and seeking guidance from professors and career advisors to stand out in a crowd. Perfecting your personal brand, networking, seeking guidance from professors and career advisors and attending professional development events like career fairs and PDR are all actionable steps you can take to secure your dream opportunity, just like they did for Katelyn!
