Staying True to Your Dreams

Caroline Gillespie

Caroline Gillespie '18, Friday Harbor Laboratories

Majors:

Biology and philosophy

Internship title:

Research assistant.

How I got this internship:

I got this internship by networking with Dickinson alumni, faculty, staff and parents.

What I do, day to day:

I conduct research with two other undergraduate students and a Dickinson professor studying the effects of ocean acidification on a marine snail called Crepidula fornicata.

Other internships:

Last summer I worked at a nonprofit called MS Cure Fund in Weston, Massachusetts, where I did event planning and administrative work. While abroad in Paris in the fall of 2016, I had an internship translating scientific research grant summaries from English to French for the Foundation for Alzheimer's Research—another nonprofit organization.

Most valuable part of this experience:

Understanding how scientific results are generated and the lifestyle of a full-time researcher. I've decided that, while I see the value in research, I am not interested in pursuing a research-based career.

Advice for students considering internships:

I would definitely encourage internships, because now I see how they can shape future plans after Dickinson. I have learned a lot already about myself as a student and a person in general. This summer also has given me insight into the functioning of the scientific community.

How this internship has helped me:

I plan to focus more on my studies in human biology and philosophy next semester.

Post-Dickinson plans:

I want to go into public health and am still considering a career in medicine eventually.

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Published September 27, 2017