Session IV: 3:45–4:40 pm

Developing My Voice At Girl Rising ENGAGE

As a Mount Holyoke student, I have made it my mission to promote the advancement of women and girls' education on a daily basis. However, as a film studies major, it is also vital for me to incorporate a level of creativity in whatever I do. So, when I landed on the Girl Rising ENGAGE internship, a non-profit organization focused on building women's confidence and offering them a brighter future, all while encouraging education through the medium of film, it felt like the perfect fit! During the internship, I was given the opportunity to take on important responsibilities, such as writing grants, concept notes, translating (English and French), and composing activities for manuals which would then be sent to communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Seeing that the Girl Rising ENGAGE team is particularly small, the interns are tasked with a number of noteworthy responsibilities and as a result, are held to a certain standard. As my tasks piled up, I was forced to learn how to prioritize and develop a thorough work ethic, in order to meet the high expectations enforced by the non-profit organization. In spite of the demanding work environment, being one who does not shy away from challenges, particularly coming from an institution where students have a similar work ethic, I felt well equipped to take on the amount of responsibility. Furthermore, since I was working in an office with only women, a space that was not foreign to me, I was able to work independently and navigate the familiar space confidently. I thoroughly cherished this microcosm of Mount Holyoke, plopped in the hustle and bustle of New York City, and am eager to utilize the tools and knowledge I accumulated over the summer.

Stories That Matter: Bringing Women’s Voices Into the Spotlight

After tireless years of social reforms and advocacy, society is making progress toward more equal opportunities and appreciation for women both in and outside the workplace. Even so, building a platform where women’s voices are presented and embraced remains one of the most vital concerns along this arduous path.

This past summer, I was able to conceptualize and understand that idea more vividly by interning at the nonprofit news organization Women’s eNews in New York City. Each day in the newsroom was unpredictable as predicted. The flexible agenda of the program allowed me to sharpen my editorial skills through exploring a wide range of topics, especially those that I had little prior knowledge. The most rewarding part of the experience was to establish new connections across the editorial board and engage in meaningful conversations with real-life women from different backgrounds who consequently became the leading light in my stories. Altogether, this provides me with a more practical perspective on how women nowadays are represented in the media and how much hard work is yet to be done. With frequent exposure to every aspect of the production line, I got to nurture my determination to pursue a future career in journalism.

Developing Voices: Encouraging Learning and Leadership Among High School Age Women in Roxbury

Over the summer, Leah Rapperport piloted a women’s entrepreneurship program in Roxbury, MA. The program was implemented in partnership with the nonprofit GED Plus, and funded by Mount Holyoke College through the McCulloch Centers’ Clinton Global Initiative University Seed Fund. The program was was created to provide a space for women to develop their entrepreneurship and leadership skills, explore career interests, and make friends. The program aims to increase the representation of female voices in entrepreneurship, business and innovation sectors.
Alongside the students she worked with, Leah also developed her own voice and leadership style. The program required her to refine her leadership and organizational skills, be mindful of the emotional and physical safety of all students and staff, and continually assess whether the in-class experiences of the students matched the goals and objectives for the program. The program pushed her to be purposeful in the lesson plan, so that the program not only encouraged skill building but also developed leadership capacity, interpersonal understanding, and collaboration abilities.
As Leah returns, she will bring what she learnt about management back to campus, and hopes to further her knowledge of entrepreneurship and business. More importantly, she will continue to seek opportunities that increase the voices of women and girls in business and tech sectors, as her internship proved the power of a women-driven enterprise.

Developing Voices: Encouraging Expression and Communication Among University Students in Japan

Panelist Kayla Tawa spent a large portion of her summer answering questions: Do you have a boyfriend? What is your university like? Have you tried Okonomiyaki? Is America safe?

As the English Intern at Tokyo Women’s Christian University, her responsibilities included visiting classrooms (and answering questions), leading discussion sessions both in groups and individually, and working with students to develop their writing skills. Additionally, she gave presentations on American Politics and on Human Rights. During her one-on-one sessions, she struggled to encourage students to ask questions. During group conversations, she worked to ensure that everyone’s voice was heard, and during presentations she strove to make sure each student understood the concepts.

Undoubtedly, the most rewarding aspect of the internship was the relationships Kayla made with the students. Through these interactions, Kayla was able to ask her own questions about life in Japan, whilst sharing her experiences of life in the United States. Through this, Kayla not only learnt more about the social structures and norms in the society she was entering, but also reflected on the society she grew up in. As the semester progressed, her answer to the question, “What are the biggest differences between Japan and America,” grew more nuanced. What at first seemed like superficial differences, "your trains are so clean and quiet," grew into a more personal reflection on what it means to be a women in a gendered society.

It is with a deepened appreciation of the role of women’s colleges and the importance of classrooms that instill confidence that Kayla returns to Mount Holyoke, eager to bring the things she learnt in the classrooms of Tokyo to the classrooms of Mt. Holyoke.

This Is My Really Special Cow Toy: Investigating Prosocial Behaviors in Children

On my first day at Boston University’s Social Development and Learning Lab, I was introduced to the director, the researchers, my fellow interns, and the four-foot tall (stuffed) giraffe that served as the lab’s mascot. Over the next 8 weeks, I would introduce that giraffe to dozens of children who came through the lab to participate in our studies, which to them were perceived as simple games. During my internship, I worked closely with the lab’s post-doctoral researcher and assisted her in carrying out two studies examining prosocial behavior in children. One study focused on children's fairness schemas, and the other on children's understanding of intentionality and its role in determining guilt. Throughout this time, my responsibilities were varied. One day, I might spend hours in front of a computer screen coding data or reaching out to participating families; another day, I might be conducting studies at the Museum of Science or a local preschool. During my time at SDLL, I learned to take pride in every task I was assigned, and I came to appreciate the ins and outs of psychological research.

The Art of Teaching

This summer, I was a dance teacher/administrator at my advisor's studio in Holyoke. I taught ballet to students ages 8-14 years old, and a Stretch & Conditioning class for the advanced students (high school to first year of college). In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I had administrative tasks. I would enter students' tuition payments into the computer, take attendance, answer phone calls, and take inventory of supplies and merchandise. In addition to teaching and administration, I was involved in community outreach with Girls Inc. Holyoke. Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young women through entrepreneurship, science and technology, and creative arts programs. I designed and taught dance workshops for Girls Inc. summer camp, for girls ages 5-8 years old. The girls would come to the dance studio and I would teach them dance steps such as the grapevine. We also played dance games such as freeze dance. In my internship, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with my advisor, someone I greatly admire. I was mentored and encouraged by my advisor to be the most effective teacher I could be. I learned that teaching is an art. You have to have patience and kindness with yourself as well as with your students. There were some challenging days, but those challenges helped me to grow and discover how important teaching is to me; how necessary it is that teaching be a part of my life. Teaching dance affirmed my aspiration to become a certified dance therapist. In teaching, I found fulfillment interacting with and forming meaningful relationships with dancers in the studio. I think my students may have taught me more than I taught them--to be confident, trust that you know what you are doing, and to love wholeheartedly the art form you are practicing.

Psychology, Law, and Policy

In the legal world, there are essentially three courses a case can take after the removal of a child by Child Protective Services in Arizona -- reunification of the child(ren) to the caretaker(s), severance of parental rights, or reactivation of the case. I spent my summer studying these three different types of cases at the Pima County Juvenile Court Center through an ongoing longitudinal study implemented by the University of Arizona under the supervision of Ryan Davidson. During my time as an intern I was responsible for an array of duties ranging from data collection, modification of codebooks, creation of data entry systems, and various organizational tasks. In addition, I oversaw and organized the updating and implementing of a collection method and coding manual for each of the variables investigated. Using my passion for research at the intersection of Psychology, Law, and Policy, I will describe how I found this opportunity, the challenges I faced, and the most valuable thing I learned as an intern.

Law, Minors, and the Digital Age

Settling into your professional environment means developing routine methodologies for fulfilling responsibilities. Excelling in a role often entails being able to set an autopilot for menial tasks so that cognitive resources may be devoted to more challenging endeavors. However, it is important to take a step back when children and minors become involved in these professional activities. Working at a law firm, I needed to know how the law applies to minors differently than it applies to adults. It introduced more factors, and the usual assumptions could not be made when engaging with my duties. Moreover, being a millennial and having grown up during the ascension of the social media age provided me with a unique perspective. I had an understanding of how the internet affects the lives of minors that even the younger associates did not have. On the job, I needed to use this perspective to contribute to the full extent of my potential.

Finding My Forté in the Music World

The Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC) offers people of all socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to study music. It was a pleasure to intern as the Summer Program Assistant and help with the various camps at this non-profit organization. Running a fine arts school in today’s world is difficult due to unrealistic cuts of already small budgets. As a result, music opportunities are becoming less accessible to society. NCMC strives to give any person, regardless of monetary constraints, the opportunity to pursue music. While working with NCMC this summer, I learned the administrative side of running a non-profit music school. From sending out letters to answering phones, I learned about the little things that help an organization build ties with the surrounding community. I also found myself singing background vocals at Rock Band Camp and discovered a new area of music in which I am interested. This year, I will continue to learn about different forms of music while I finish my music major, and apply new teaching methods to my own students. I began my summer not knowing where my place in the music world would be when I graduate. After four months of learning from people in diverse musical professions, such as teachers, performers, directors, store owners, and freelancers, I found my place among these amazing people. In addition to realizing where music fits in my life, I have gained the confidence to pursue aspects of the music world that I love. I learned that I am not done learning. My experience at NCMC has prepared me for the next steps in my music journey.

Spotlight on Arts Administration: My Summer at New York City Ballet

During the summer of 2016, I interned with New York City Ballet in the Membership Department. Located in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, NYCB is a world-renown ballet company known for creating the first originally “American” style of ballet. As with all performing arts companies, a strong development department is imperative to a ballet company’s ongoing success. In my position in Membership, I trained in the Tessitura software system, which NYCB, the Metropolitan Opera and other companies use in order to keep track of donor contributions and relations. I used Tessitura regularly for my first project, where I assisted in updating donor listings for the 2017 season Playbill. Not having worked with large data systems before, I used the critical thinking abilities I developed at Mount Holyoke and the computing skills I practiced in Psychology Statistics to creatively manage this task. In addition to other administrative responsibilities, I also learned how to write appeals, which entailed online research and interviewing a Company choreographer. In this panel, I will discuss the learning curves I experienced in arts development, and how networking helped me to obtain my dream internship.

Lost in Translation: Making Effective ESL a Possibility in Public Schools

As any non-native speaker will know, fluency in English as a language is more than a skill- it is a form of a status-quo, and sometimes, it becomes the biggest hindrance on our way to greater opportunities. In developing countries like Nepal, the quality of public school education remains largely unchecked and puts children from these schools, often from working class families, are at a great competitive disadvantage that limits their access to further education and job opportunities. With a modern grading system put into place just this year, the quality of English these students learn in class is a far cry from what they need to pass their exams, as a result of which close to 45% of students who passed in other subjects from these schools were denied an opportunity in higher education. As a summer intern in Research and Funding for Canopy Nepal, my work consisted of analyzing and documenting finances of the organization, and researching on prospective funding and partnering opportunities with similar organizations and schools to help bridge this gap in as many schools as possible. I conducted site visits to all of our partnering schools, and drafted project proposals and conducted contingency studies for potential partner schools.

How to Recharge Your Internship by Plugging into a Creative Outlet

This summer, I worked at the Northwest Wisconsin chapter of the American Red Cross as a disaster administration intern. My job was to assist the organization in planning for their chapter-specific goals in disaster relief, which entailed verifying facts, researching other organizations, and data entry.  I began my internship with a lot of energy because I knew that my work was important and would make a difference during a disaster. However, as time went on, I soon found myself losing enthusiasm over some of the more routine tasks. In order to reignite my passion, I spoke to my supervisor and asked if there were any projects that I could make my own. Luckily, we were able to work together to find a part-time project to overhaul the chapter’s disaster shelter database. This meant that I was researching areas that needed more shelters, and working directly with other organizations to create and designate new emergency shelters within our chapter district. This was the perfect outlet for me to exercise some creative control, while giving me more energy for my other duties.  The lesson that I took from this experience was that working for a non-profit organization can sometimes be tedious, but it is important to yourself and the organization to find ways to enjoy your work. I communicated to my supervisor that I was saw the importance of my daily tasks, but that I also wanted to expand my internship goals to include a more dynamic project. Because I had a positive attitude and supportive managerial staff, I was able to find a creative outlet that led to a much more exciting and interesting internship that better prepared me for a career in the non-profit world.

On Track: All Roads Lead to Law

Somewhere between pop-culture television depictions of the legal profession and conceptual understandings of "the law" is the everyday work of attorneys practicing law and representing clients in real cases. My experience this past summer as a legal intern at a private practice family law firm in Boston has given me a better understanding of what it means to be an attorney, beyond fictional portrayals as seen on "Suits" or academic perspectives from my Constitutional Law or Civil Liberties courses. I was able to put the critical thinking, writing, and research skills I have gained from my studies into practice, and found that the interdisciplinary nature of my International Relations major was a good fit for the multifaceted practice of law. As a legal intern, I gained valuable experience in not only office administration, where I was responsible for maintaining orderly hard-copy and electronic client files, but also in legal writing. I had the opportunity to draft legal motions, orders, and memoranda, and to work closely with my supervisor to edit these documents and file them with the Court. I conducted legal research regarding statutory and case law in family law matters, and learned about the tools available to facilitate this type of research. I also met and interacted with clients, and had the unexpected but exiting chance to learn more about various aspects of small business management, including online marketing. The skills I learned this past summer will undoubtedly be transferable to law school and beyond. I am better informed about what my future career in law might hold and more prepared and confident in my abilities to accomplish my goals. My liberal arts education has opened up new avenues for me, and I know I am on the right track.

Student Presenters:

An Uncommon Woman in Federal Law Enforcement

For the past few years I have been increasingly interested in working with federal law enforcement agencies, particularly as a Special Agent. However, I have always felt too small and unfit for a rigorous and at times physically demanding job. This past summer I interned at the New England Drug Enforcement Administration Base (DEA) and I learned that no matter how small and intimidated you may be, if you work hard for what you want, anything is achievable. I worked primarily in the office of Task Force Two, an enforcement group based in Boston and its surrounding cities. When not working in tracking down street level criminals, I worked with the DEA Divergence department, where I worked on more white level drug dealing and misuse. Utilizing my critical thinking skills, my technology and computer skills, as well as my hard work ethic, I proved myself invaluable to the office. This internship was extremely impactful not only for my future career possibilities, but for my own self-confidence. There are so many jobs that are “male dominated”, but working with the DEA this past summer was eye opening in the sense that even as a 5’1 female, I am just as valued as a 6’5 man. Pursuing a career as a Special Agent does not mean that you have to be a stereotypical stature; it is actually the opposite. What so many young women like myself do not know is that these types of agencies, the FBI, DEA, and CIA, are looking for more diversity in all ways.  So come to my panel and learn more about my experiences at the DEA and what it means to be a woman in federal law enforcement!

Vietnam, US, Belgium, France: A Liberal Arts Education Is All You Need

This summer, Lan interned at the Enterprise Risk Services division in Deloitte Consulting in Hanoi, Vietnam. Her luggage included Game Theory knowledge from Professor Schmeiser’s class at Mount Holyoke, European Economics Law lectures at Sciences Po Paris, and a curious mind. The last component was indeed the most powerful of all, as she learns to connect her academic training with real world problems and to transfer knowledge into practical solutions.  Lan enjoyed researching about governmental policies that promote economic liberation and sustainability in the electricity sectors. This experience not only confirmed her passion to solve business problems but also opened colorful doors for her future after Mohome.

Shaping Legal Policy in a Corporate Setting

The Lynk-UAF program, among all its remarkable powers, enables students to serve and gain professional experience in their home country. With Lynk backing my ambitions, I pursued an internship with HaidermotaBNR, a leading corporate law and commercial litigation firm in Pakistan. I assisted several partners and associates with research, drafting, and vetting assignments. In addition to serving several large financial corporations, businesses, and individuals operating in Pakistan, HaidermotaBNR is also the adviser of choice for Pakistan’s chief financial regulators – i.e. the State Bank of Pakistan (comparable to the Federal Reserve) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. As a result, I had the deeply rewarding opportunity of framing a portion of provisions in amendments to the Banking Laws of Pakistan. Through this panel, I hope to convey how the research, analytical reasoning, logical thinking, and writing skills attained through a liberal arts education enabled me to complete an ostensibly daunting task with success. The disciplines of History and Philosophy have given me a deep understanding of people, states, political systems, and economic patterns. Such knowledge can be a key player in effective legal thinking and legislative drafting.  My work at HaidermotaBNR challenged my assumption that effective change can only be wrought through careers in public service or the non-profit sector. In Pakistan, a country that is troubled by legal and political turmoil, such amendments, upon approval by the National Assembly, will streamline the regulation of the financial sector and profoundly improve safeguards for millions of depositors.

Connecting Law, Business & Economics... But Really, Who Knows What Else?

During her time at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, Jasmine had the opportunity to consult on cases and apply her knowledge on arbitration and contracts. The main objective of this internship was for her to learn more about private law and ordinance both in the United States and in France, and better understand how these two differ and come together in different ways - delving into the commercial relationship between the two countries under international and trade law. While the latter was slightly touched upon, She was mostly looking at trial costs. She knew nothing about how econometrics were to be applied to assess litigation claims nor calculate torts and damages. Nevertheless, she learnt how to adapt to the environment and to team up with colleagues that were well beyond her age. This internship represented considerable challenges that she was not prepared for academically. However, she came to understand that law is not a discipline for its own sake. The rigor, attention to detail and, prior courses taken at Mount Holyoke, all gave her tremendous basics that helped her with crossing over concepts on procedure and in lingo, from university to the internship. This enabled her to work with any other legal form or documentation that would later be given to her. Even though she had come out from this internship feeling discouraged, she now sees that she absorbed and applied much more of it than she had initially anticipated. The mere experience of being exposed to such cases has opened new doors for her academically and professionally. She has come to understand the new perspective that seamlessly comes with "thinking like a lawyer" regardless of what position or law one practices.

Investigating the Feeding Phenotype of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 in the Common Fruit Fly

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous genetic disease. NF1 results in tumor formations, predisposing patients to a wide range of cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The nf1 protein is often studied in the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Previous studies have demonstrated that in nf1 mutants, spontaneous grooming increased up to 7 times compared to wild type flies, and there is an increased feeding phenotype. This discovery was the focus of my project. At The Scripps Research Institute, I conducted a study examining the effects of nf1 on feeding and metabolism in the Drosophila model of NF1. Through my research, I was able to expand my understanding of Neurofibromatosis Type 1, the Drosophila, and myself. Most importantly, this experience helped me make important decisions regarding my future in science.

A Genetic Screen on Alzheimer’s Disease in Fruit Flies

Although Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most well known and common diseases associated with aging, very little is known about what causes it and therefore even less is known about ways to treat or cure it. AD is characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain - linked to the Aβ42 protein - and development of neurofibrillary tangles - linked to the Tau protein. This summer, I worked on a project measuring the expression of these two proteins in the eyes of different fly lines from the Drosophila Genetic Research Panel (DGRP). I worked on the pilot for this project; I was responsible for figuring out which recombinant line to cross into the DGRP as well as developing and refining techniques and protocols. Fruit flies are a useful model organism due to their short life cycle and high homology with the human genome. While I spent a lot of time dedicated to learning the ins and outs of lab work, from fly-specific techniques to more general molecular biology procedures, I ended up also learning a lot about my strengths and weaknesses as a scientist, and came out of the summer with a newfound confidence in and appreciation for research.

Investigating the Role of the Ubiquitin Ligase, Kelch, in the Regulation of the Cytoskeletal Protein, Sponge, During Oogenesis and Embryogenesis in Drosophila Melanogaster

Kelch is a regulatory protein found mainly in Eukaryotes. There are about 50 different Kelch proteins in humans and 9 in Drosophila. In humans this protein is involved in several genetic diseases such as hypertension and nemaline myopathy. Little is known about the functional role of this protein and the lab at Yale University where I worked this summer uses the model organism Drosophila Melanogaster to investigate the function of this regulatory protein in the process of Oogenesis and Embryogenesis in Drosophila Melanogaster. This can provide some insight into their roles in humans as the processes could be analogous. In Drosophila ovaries, oocyte development is facilitated by ring-like structures known as ring canals which allow cytoplasmic flow from the nurse cells to the oocyte. Kelch is part of a Cullin-3 RING Ubiquitin E3 ligase that binds to a substrate present in these ring canals and marks it for degradation in order to clear out the inside of the ring. Purification experiments with Kelch has given us a list of possible candidate proteins that could be the target substrate for Kelch and my independent project was to examine one of these candidate protein, Sponge, and gather evidence of it being regulated by Kelch or not in Drosophila Oogenesis and Embryogenesis. I had three experimental approaches to this. Firstly, I used an advanced genome editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 to mutate the gene responsible for Sponge in flies and observe the phenotype of the egg cells. Doing this required drawing out a fly crossing scheme, designing and inserting guide RNAs into vectors and running DNA gels to check each step. I also did western blots and immunofluorescence in the oocytes to see the levels and localization of these two proteins. Lastly I did immunofluorescence in the embryos to see the protein levels.

Death, the Final Frontier: Discovering the Pathway to Programmed Cell Death

Over the summer, I worked in a research lab at UMass Amherst in the Cell Biology Department. I worked under Professor Larry Schwartz, whose lab focuses on programmed cell death. Specifically, cell death during the metamorphosis of the tobacco moth, Manduca sexta. The lab is centered around the gene Acheron, which is vital for the correct timing of muscle cell death and expulsion from the cocoon in the moth. This gene has been found in other organisms as well, including fruit flies and in breast cancer tumors of humans. This internship was my first experience in applied biological research, something I had been wanting to do since I started college. While I had practiced some of the research techniques in lab courses, I spent a lot of time this summer learning and practicing the various skills needed for the various experiments. In the later portion of the summer, I was able to work on an independent project using embryonic Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. My experiments dealt with inducing these cells with copper sulfate and cobalt chloride, which cause the cells to express Acheron and the subsequent protein in the pathway, BAD. In these experiments, I studied the level of expression of the genes when exposed to varying concentrations of the metal solutions. While I did run into struggles with my experiments, partially due to my inexperience with the techniques and partially due to issues like cell contamination, I greatly enjoyed my time in the lab. I am eager to do more research and expand my scientific toolbox, and integrate my other area of research, Computer Science, into my future research as well.

Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Disease

Gardnerella vaginalis biofilm formation is a crucial aspect in the formation of Bacterial vaginosis. Populations of G.vaginalis exist in healthy women and can vary in titre numbers without causing the individual to enter into the disease state. This indicates that there is differing virulence amongst strains. Possible pathogenic gene(s) present in strains of BV patients are likely linked to the phenotype that allow for the evasive colonization of Gardnerella.

You Don’t Have to be Perfect - Just Prepared: Working in a Neuroanatomy and Behavior Lab

This past summer, I interned at the Lab of Neuroanatomy and Behavior at Northeastern University under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Shansky. I was excited to work in Boston at a large university, but felt apprehensive about starting my first internship. Dr. Shansky’s research focuses on the behavioral responses of rats to fear and stress, sex differences between these responses, and how hormones such as estrogen can influence this neuronal pathway in rat models. Her lab combines data from behavioral assays with analysis of neuronal dendrites to bridge the connection between behavior and neurobiology. Though some of my expectations were met, I encountered more surprises than I anticipated. I spent most of my time designing and running experiments as well as analyzing video data using special computer software, a skill I had learned during my time in Professor Schwartzer’s lab at MHC. However, I also enjoyed learning about new techniques such as perfusions. This internship taught me as much about myself as it did about rat behavior and neurobiology. It was rewarding and reassuring to learn that I could handle a lot of independent work, learn quickly in a new environment, and work through problems or learn from mistakes along the way. This drove home the idea that you don’t have to be perfect - just prepared.

Communication Under the Microscope: Exploring KRAS-dependent Crosstalk Between Tumor Cells and Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer Metastasis

In World Cancer Report 2014, the World Health Organization had identified colorectal cancer as the second most common cancer in women and the third in men. Colorectal cancer is held responsible for about 50,000 deaths annually in United States alone. Physicians, surgeons, and scientists of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the top ranking hospital and cancer research institute in the US, have made ending cancer the work of their life. In the past summer, I had the honor of working on Colorectal Cancer and KRAS with my mentor, Dr. Wenting Liao, at Dr. DePinho’s lab in MD Anderson. To improve patient survival and shed new light on possible targets of treatment, we began with understanding the underlying mechanism of the disease, employing techniques such as Real-Time PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and immunohistochemistry. Under the supervision of Dr. Liao, I was able to culture and harvest cells using inducible cancer cell lines, and determine influential markers by testing their expression on both the RNA level and protein level.

Investigating Neurodegenerative Diseases: Research Techniques in the Study of Huntington's

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, affect over 45 million people worldwide. They are characterized by the progressive loss of function and structure of neurons, and are ultimately fatal. At this point in time there is no cure for such diseases, or even a clear understanding of how they occur. This past summer, I worked in a lab in the department of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University studying Huntington's disease using Drosophila Melanogaster as a model organism. We used transgenic flies expressing the mutant Huntington’s gene responsible for the disease. The gene however is expressed in the retina of the fly rather than the brain because the retina provides an easier platform for studying the disease. Using a variety of research techniques I worked towards gaining a better understanding of the disease progression and manifestation. I set up and implemented rescue experiments to investigate possible ways to halt or slow down progression of the disease. In the first, I studied the effect of the antioxidant curcumin, and in the second, the effects of light exposure on the progression of the disease. In each experiment the flies were studied by performing retinal and brain dissections and then imaging the samples through fluorescence microscopy. I also used molecular techniques such as western blotting to see how the disease may have affected the presence of certain proteins in the retina. This internship has helped orient me towards my future career goals, and provided me with many hard laboratory skills that will likely be useful to me in the future.

Molecular Dynamic Simulations: what we can learn about proteins using computers?

Computational power drastically improved in the last decade which allowed many laboratories today to use molecular simulations and apply them to biological systems. This approach assists answering questions that are hard or nearly impossible to get by using “wet” laboratory techniques.  Often, when the certain protein is studied, it is studied by itself without the environment. However, soluble proteins are floating in the cytoplasm is much denser than water and contains many different proteins and other agents such as ions. The presence of other crowding agents and proteins can influence protein stabilization, assist in denaturation or even alter protein secondary structure and create a new more stable conformational state with lower minimal energy. My job was to test a new model for the laboratory and find the good protein candidates for the future research work. It was satisfying to see a real-life application of the knowledge that I already had from my classes. Moreover, I had to pick up some programming skills which I had limited exposure before last summer. During my training I liked to see my own growth in amount of independent work that I was able to do. My presentation focuses on the multidisciplinary research, and my experience as an undergraduate student in an academic laboratory.

Spending More but Receiving Less: Why We Should Learn from Australia

This past summer, Jasmine worked in Australia as an intern at Medtech, a company that aims to sell health technology solutions that could potentially diminish the cost of healthcare. Although the U.S. is the highest spender on healthcare, its lack of a nationwide system for health insurance and large volume of bankruptcy filings due to medical expenses have hindered the country’s growth in life expectancy rates. In order to formulate sales strategies for preventing hospital readmission in the United States, Jasmine used the success of the Australian healthcare system as a model from which to draw inspiration. After conducting further research on market trends in healthcare and cross-analyzing data amongst Medtech’s competitors, Jasmine designed sales presentations and created product brochures that targeted the U.S. market. From this experience, she gained valuable information that would be crucial in introducing a foreign product into new international markets.

Stock Price Forecasting

As I intend to pursue a career as an actuary upon graduation, I was looking for summer research related to financial markets. I was especially interested in risk management. This summer I conducted an independent research on stock price forecasting at UMass Amherst. Stock Price has significance to risk management of the financial companies and the profit of investors. In the research, artificial neural network models (ANNs) were adopted to forecast stock price of MSFT. The stationarity of data set and its log returns were tested based on data set of MSFT from 1/1/2006 to 5/1/2016. I forecasted the future price by ANNs. By comparing the forecasting results of MA(1) model and ANNs for the out-of-sample period, we conclude that ANN model brings more accurate results in stock market prediction.

Pollination: The Sweet Link between Agribusiness and Better Lives

Bees are responsible for one in three bites that we eat. Under the Mango Tree, a company based in Mumbai, that saw the tremendous values in bees and uses beekeeping as a vector to better lives in rural India. As a hybrid NGO and private limited business, UTMT makes the bulk of its profit from organic honey harvested by farmer-turned-beekeepers. Recently, the company is exploring a new business project in addition to honey production-- pollination service. Almost 75% of crops depend on insects like bees to transfer pollen. Consequently, large farms, especially those in developed countries like America, are increasingly dependent on commercial honeybee pollination service. A typical services entails the beekeeper transporting beehives to the farm, placing the hives in the cultivated fields. The diligent honeybees then complete the remaining tasks of transferring pollens between crops.  As a market research summer intern for UTMT, my role was to conduct foundational research for the company to establish the first commercial pollination service practices in India. During my research, I studied the current agriculture conditions in India, surveyed business models adopted in several developed countries, interviewed individual businesses and beekeepers, and created profiles of potential clients. Working in UTMT in Mumbai, India was rewarding on many ways. Everyday I learned a little more about the crucial role agriculture plays in the economy as well as the welfare of the people in the developing world, especially for the marginalized groups. I learned that there are abundant potentials in agriculture and eco-conscious industries, yet lives in rural areas in India are extremely challenging. UTMT gifted me with a compassionate, enthusiastic group of co-workers, an eye-opening trip to rural India where the beekeepers lived, and most importantly, a chance to be immersed in a country that never ceases to inspire me, educate me and urge me to be an open-minded, modest, and active global citizen.

To Do Good, Buy Good: The Birth of the Ethical Consumer

Never before has the average consumer been exposed to the infinite number of options that are available on the market today. Whether it's choosing a tube of toothpaste or picking up coffee for breakfast, the choices are often overwhelming, varied, and increasingly diverse in origin. But in that moment, when we stand in the grocery store aisle eyeing brightly colored packages and dermatologist-recommended potions, how often do we check to see whether the products in our hands align with our values and our standards of ethics and social warfare? And isn't it about time we started? The Good Buy is an online marketplace that sells ethically produced goods that were handpicked for their commitment to our environment, our workers, and to sustainable business practices. During my time at The Good Buy, I conducted extensive research about ethics in business, the certifications that allow consumers to recognize goods that align with their values, and the variety of ways in which for-profit businesses can engage in philanthropy. Researching vendors then vetting their business practices and commitment to social welfare, environmental health, and community development using our rigorous criteria for ethically sourced goods forced me to review my own commitment to transparency, sustainability, and economic and environmental justice at every level. Creating marketing materials with an educational core and seeing the impact it had on consumers confirmed the importance of knowledge acquisition and value transference in the revenue process. It was clear that when given the choice, consumers understood the importance of making conscious market decisions and the power of the consumer in shifting business practices for the better. Thus, the ethical consumer was born.

Something’s Fishy in the Slope Sea…

My summer internship was with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a scientific agency that studies the changing conditions of the oceans and atmosphere, within the United States Department of Commerce. For ten weeks I participated in exploratory research at the NOAA Narragansett Lab (RI) centered on the diversity and distribution of Ichthyoplankton (larval fish) within the Slope Sea. The Slope Sea is a relatively unexplored deep-water marine ecosystem that encompasses the waters north of Cape Hatteras, NC, between the northeastern United States continental shelf and the Gulf Stream. Specifically, my responsibilities included the identification and categorization of larval fish of the families: Labridae, Scaridae, and Gobiidae. Exploratory research is lending valuable information on this dynamic marine ecosystem and will prove beneficial in understanding future ecological changes. My advisors at the lab also offered a variety of other opportunities throughout my internship—including visits to a number of conferences to see presentations involving different scientific research, going out on a NOAA research vessel to collect Ichthyoplankton samples, as well as a field work assessment of Essential Fish Habitat. These engaging experiences supplemented my primary research learning experience and allowed me to gain a better perspective on the multitude and variety of scientific research conducted. My summer internship experience has influenced my decision to pursue a career in Marine Science. I went into this internship as a prospective medical student with the idea that it was merely an opportunity to indulge my long standing interest in Marine Science. However, after a summer filled with exciting experiences—I am ‘hooked’ on the goal of a career as a marine scientist!

Think You're Crazy? Think Again: Understanding Anomalous Experiences in Mental Health

Voice hearing, unusual beliefs, and extreme mood states are often regarded as a meaningless symptom of brain disease- but what if there was another way to look at it? This summer I worked at the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) in Manchester, England, researching trauma, voice hearing and other anomalous experiences, and psychosocial interventions for individuals experiencing mental distress. PRU believes that mental health difficulties are an understandable and meaningful response to adverse life events, and as such should be seen as adaptations and coping strategies, rather than symptoms of illness. My primary responsibilities included transcribing interviews, researching and writing book chapters, and facilitating workshops and trainings. The hope is that this research will not only influence interventions on the individual level, but help to facilitate societal change in how we approach mental distress. My work with PRU is ongoing, and I am planning to pursue a Ph. D. with my supervisor after graduating from Mount Holyoke.

Information Marketplace: Big Data’s Role in Your Consumer Habits

Ever wondered the strategy behind ad and product placement? Probably not. Ever wondered where your money disappears? Most likely. This summer as a market research intern at a television network, my primary goal was to understand you, the public, as a social consumer and subsequently profit from that information. My aggregation of third party data and in house research came together in profiling the standard viewer of the Tennis Channel Network. I used my findings to strategize which brands and advertisers would be most interested in communicating with viewers of the Tennis Channel. My introduction to social data was in the form of an unassuming sociology major requirement that subsequently prepared me for my summer internship. My interest in analytics peaked as a result of this experience and since then I have incorporated it into my academic studies at Mount Holyoke. During my internship, I found the place where the liberal arts and corporate interest intersect.

What Makes The Picture?

If you have ever seen Hubble images or any other images of space and wondered, do the originals really look like that? The answer is that they have been processed. Processing is the work done by astronomers behind the scenes in order to make measurements on the images. This summer I got to look behind that curtain and figured out the nuts and bolts of how astronomical images are processed. The processing is known as reducing the images. I worked with a group of astronomers from all over the country, and even across the globe, known as the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (or UAT for short). The UAT studies galaxies, and by pooling together their work on different wavelengths, galaxies, galaxy clusters, and different redshifts they gain a clearer image of galactic structure and evolution. I spent the summer at St. Lawrence University (SLU) working under Dr. Aileen O’Donoghue, and during my summer I had the opportunity to attend the UAT Summer Workshop at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. Under Dr. O’Donoghue I worked with two sets of images of different parts of a galaxy cluster, layered the images together, and manipulated them in order to emphasis the regions of H alpha gas. H alpha gas is an indicator of star formation and shows regions of galaxies with active star formation. The work I did this summer and the people I met reaffirmed my desire to pursue a career in astronomy.

Tidal Marshes: Wave Carbon Goodbye

This summer I completed an internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Beaufort, North Carolina researching how biogeochemical processes of salt marshes impact estuarine environments. Coming into this opportunity I knew what I was looking for, hands on experience in both a field and laboratory setting--which is exactly what I received. On my first day, my supervisor showed me around the lab, and before I knew it I was already processing samples before lunch! My assigned project focused on measuring carbon storage rates in sediments collected from natural and created marshes along the Northern Gulf Coast of Florida. The created marshes were in ‘living shoreline’ projects and ranged in age from 8 to 28 years. At all sites sediment cores were collected, extruded in 5X7 cm patty-shaped increments, and carbon content was determined by elemental analysis. Measured carbon (C) storage rates in the created marshes ranged from 60 to 130 g C m-2 yr-1 and decreased with marsh age. A decrease in storage rates over time is evidence of continued decomposition of stored carbon as sediments age--an important factor to consider when estimating the value of a given marsh for CO2 offsets. As I learned more about my project, I began helping with other projects and participating in fieldwork excursions. Through participating in these different activities, I was able to have a broader understanding of what my specific project meant in the overlying effort of the Beaufort Lab to research ecological responses to climate change. I learned so more than I could have hoped for during my experience at NOAA, and have developed the skill-set needed to propel me into future endeavors.

Venice at the Crossroads of International Education

I was an International Partnerships Intern at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, a public Italian university which, among many things, is known for its foreign languages curricula and international programs. The department where I worked was concerned with international communication and the prestige of the institution abroad. I assisted professionals who coordinated the mobility of the university’s students and professors within and outside of the European Union. In this position, my main responsibilities included preparing, editing, and translating materials such as reports, catalogues and project proposals in English and Italian. I engaged in administrative work such as communicating with the admitted international students and managing the student information database. This position, being significantly diverse from my previous experiences, not only educated me about the educational institutions in the European Union, but also trained me in working under pressure created by language barriers and tight deadlines. In addition to my professional growth, I became proficient in Italian and immensely improved my translation skills. I am now able to refer to the original texts, which is extremely important for my further study and deep understanding of Italy and its culture, one of my main academic interests at Mount Holyoke.

Honey day, Onion day: Intentional ELL curriculum development for Arabic speaking refugees in Jordan

Al-Hadaf is a small but wide reaching powerhouse of a nonprofit. The organization provides education, health and trauma treatment programs for marginalized members of Jordanian society and trainings for those supporting these individuals, with a focus on refugees. Al-Hadaf means “the goal” or “the purpose” in Arabic, reflecting my learning process in a self-directed internship. The nonprofit is a bilingual environment, so I learned to negotiate my goals on multiple linguistic and cultural terms. My internship with Al-Hadaf centered on independently creating and teaching the organization’s first ELL course for adult Iraqi refugees residing in Amman and awaiting asylum in Canada and Australia. My process of creating ELL curriculum drew from my personal linguistic hurdles in the country as a non-native Arabic speaker. My guiding purpose was to create an ELL curriculum that focused on fostering speaking confidence to build agency and self advocacy skills for Iraqi students preparing for transitions abroad. I also completed daily office tasks and was actively involved in other programming that required my Arabic language skills. Learning Arabic has pressed me to act with confidence, intentionality, reflection and creativity under pressure. These transferable skills surfaced when teaching, translating and collaborating within a highly sensitive environment with vulnerable populations.

Re-Experiencing the Chinese Society in an NGO

One of the most efficient ways to learn about the Chinese society is to work in the NGO field, which has grown rapidly since the 2008 earthquake. As an international student majoring in sociology and East Asian studies, I wanted to know more and think critically about the country where I grew up. Therefore, I spent the summer at China Development Brief (CDB), a media platform launched in 1996 for the Chinese NGO field. Using my bilingual skills, I was responsible for publishing news on the English website catering to western scholars and doing research on the issue of left-behind children throughout the world. During break time, I was able to join in the discussion of ongoing social problems with others, thanks to the great classroom experience in Mount Holyoke. In the two months in Beijing, I gained an abundant amount of knowledge in office work, NGOs, and the Chinese civil society.

Pardon My French: A Summer at the Château de Chantilly

As an art history major and French minor, Sabrina Smith had the opportunity to combine both areas of her study though a summer internship at the Château de Chantilly. Her internship served as a laboratory to explore the intersections between research and museum education from multi-cultural perspectives. Through her work as a student guide, Sabrina focused on the translation of museum resources across languages and cultures. Her internship provided the opportunity to utilize and expand the Château’s library of resources in both French and English, as well as add to her growing understanding of European art. In her panel, Sabrina will discuss how her academics at Mount Holyoke College and internships through the College Art Museum helped prepare her to navigate a challenging and fast-paced work environment. Lastly, she will discuss the impact of her summer experience on her current studies including her developing interest in museum curation and the culture of collecting. Her panel will inform audiences on how a liberal arts education prepares students to for a variety of careers in the arts across the world.

Blowing the Dust Away: Storytelling through Exhibits

Exhibits offer a peek into the foggy windows of our histories. Through visual access to primary material, we gain a truer sense of the essence of the time period (or place, person, or event) presented. But how can mere material reveal undiscovered details of a past revisited? During my internship in the Archives and Special Collections at Mount Holyoke, I explored this question through my work on two exhibits – one that celebrates the class of 1920, and another that explores the 100 year history of The Mount Holyoke News. As I delved into the research process, I found that creating an exhibit is much like putting together the pieces of a puzzle; the pieces are adrift remnants of the past, and though figuring out how they match together proves difficult, the completed puzzle transforms what was once a shuffled pile of confusion into an image. In the case of exhibits, the completed puzzle not only transforms into a series of accessible images, but forms an untold story.

Reorganizing The Carle: Learning the Fundamentals of Collections Stewardship Through Mentorship and Teamwork

How do you begin to reorganize a museum’s collection? As an intern at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art I worked with my fellow intern and our supervisors in the Collections Department to tackle this question. Taking into consideration the space and resources available to us as well as the mission of the museum, we moved hundreds of pieces in the permanent collection to improve the safety of the artwork and to create a system that is now more accessible to museum staff. This work was hands-on, challenging, and rewarding: a combination that required and honed my communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills in a professional environment. Though a big part of my experience was completing these tasks, my supervisors always couched the fundamentals of museum stewardship within wider perspectives of mentorship and teamwork. If there’s one thing I learned from my internship, it’s that a valuable experience is not just determined by the work you do, it's also shaped by the work environment that an organization fosters. Together, both the work I did and the guidance I received made this internship a truly invaluable experience.

Four Departments, One Mission: The Possibilities of Archives and Special Collections

One of the most important missions of any archival repository is to make its information accessible to the public in a way that is informative, interesting, and enriching. During my internship at the Wake Forest University Special Collections and Archives, I learned what makes achieving such a mission possible and developed a deeper understanding of the inner workings of an archival repository. My presentation will explore the different duties of the four departments I worked in throughout my internship, with a special focus on how the relationships between these departments create one functioning whole. Through my experiences in the Rare Books, Public Services, Collections, and Preservation departments, I will illustrate the variety of skills that I gained as an archives and special collections intern and how I became more aware of the possibilities a career in archives can offer.

History for Children: Making Connections and Learning Compassion

How do we best introduce history children? Over the past summer, I interned at Gibbs Farm: Pathways to Dakota and Pioneer Life, an historical farm site. While working at Gibbs Farm with their summer programs for children, I learned how public historians can immerse children in the history of their communities through activities, play, and imagination. Gibbs Farm's approach to immersive learning allows children to discover the everyday lives of Pioneer and Dakota children that lived in their town, and helps establish sensitivity for other people by learning about these different lifestyles. Gibbs Farm provides an example of sensitivity when deciding how to tell the story of two intersecting cultures on one site. By working with community members and constantly reexamining their archive, Gibbs Farm has shown their dedication to treating the people of the site's history with respect. Though children may not yet understand these efforts, they learn compassion and expand their worlds when experiencing these histories at Gibbs Farm. Working with Gibbs Farm highlighted the importance of treating students and historical subjects with care, while simultaneously showing me how to help young students connect history to their communities and everyday life through immersive play.

One Small Museum: Never Enough Time, Money, or Volunteers But it Works

I will be discussing my responsibilities and contributions to my work as an administrative intern at a small private museum called Rutherfurd Hall. I found that working in a small museum space as this had me working in positions that I never would have expected and my colleagues and I needed to expand our initial roles that we signed on to do. For me, that meant altering my initial position as a historical researcher into one that encompassed not just our collections, but exhibiting and engaging with the public as well. While moving from collections to exhibits to public engagements is a natural progression I also found my self collaborating on non-historical events for the public, technological advancements for our museums, developing new ways for the public to access our history, and even assisting during weddings, if you can believe it. I hope to give a glimpse of one perspective of a first time experience at a small museum.

Learn Locally and Think Globally

This summer I had the opportunity to work with Cushman & Wakefield. Although it was only a mere two months, it was a very beneficial two months where my knowledge and understanding of commercial real estate grew exponentially. One of my biggest takeaways from this summer was learning how truly diverse this industry is, while simultaneously remaining completely interconnected. I learned about the various service lines that this company provides and then started wondering about the time and effort put into running a successful business. As a senior majoring in Psychology, most people might be confused as to how this fits into the field of business. Truth is, Real Estate is the business of people, it involves a great deal of interaction, communication, and collaboration with clients. Psychology has provided me the skills for exactly that, to learn from my surroundings and truly connect with people.

Exposing New Generations to the Importance of Civic Participation

As the first female appointed to the U.S. Cabinet, Frances Perkins will go down in history as one of Mount Holyoke’s most prominent alumni. While working under Franklin D. Roosevelt as Secretary of Labor, Perkins pushed to pass laws against child labor, establish a minimum wage, create safe work environments and more. Assembled in 2009, the Frances Perkins Center aims to make the exemplary work and career of Frances Perkins better known. Located in the state of Maine, the Frances Perkins Center, a small non-profit, has produced publications, sponsored conferences and research, recognized leaders who exemplify Perkins' Values. The hope is to expose new generations to the importance of civic participation and striving for social equality by telling the story of Frances Perkins' and her New Deal legacy. This summer I was given the opportunity to work alongside the Frances Perkins Center team in their journey to educate others about Frances Perkins. I got to see and experience the ins and outs of nonprofit work while learning more about Frances Perkins myself. During this time, I was able to write up grant reports, do research for forums, make edits to information going out to the public and much more!

Transformation of Cranial Neural Crest Cells: Regenerating Craniofacial Tissues

The many facets of Neuroscience and its interdisciplinary nature allow scientists to look into various research topics ranging from behavioral psychology to stem cells. For me, I am particularly interested in our face and our skull, which are parts of the craniofacial region developed by the cranial neural crest cells. These cells arise from embryonic ectoderm cell layer at the margins of the neural tube. In order to give rise to our musculo-skeletal and mineralized tissues, they have to go through a cascade of biological processes, which includes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration and differentiation. As they are cell specific and are regulated by unique signaling pathways, it is critical to obtain such information in order to induce and transform neural crest cells in the near future, especially when regeneration of craniofacial tissues has become more promising and practicable with current technologies. This summer, I participated in a research aiming at understanding the signaling pathways and identifying RNA expression in various tissues of interest in a mouse model. Large-scale academic research and a variety of bioinformatics tools were studied as well. I look forward to sharing my experience in New York City, the diversity I experienced in lab and how this opportunity and my education at Mount Holyoke supplement one another.

Creating Impact as a Consulting Intern

Interested in landing an internship in consulting? Want to know how interns make impact in a boutique management consulting firm? I offer insight into the industry of management consulting, specifically, supply chain and procurement consulting. The company I interned at this summer gave me the chance to learn about businesses from the inside by leading a project to save money for a major US construction company. Not all my time was spent on building Excel models and PowerPoint decks; I was also able to talk to experts, cold-call CEOs, collect pricing information from suppliers, and at the end, present my findings to the client’s C-suite. As an International Relations major, my focus of study in global social issues made me feel helpless. Consulting allows me to grow as a young professional in critical thinking, problem solving, and communicating, all of which are important skills that I will apply to non-profit work when I am seasoned. I had an extraordinary learning experience at the company and a fun life experience in New York City.