Kimberly Sipanela: What Can I Do
During the summer after my freshman year, I worked as an Orientation Leader on Lander’s campus. This is a whole story in itself where I came out of my shell according to anybody who knew me at the time. Aside from that, that summer I landed my very first internship with the Keck Graduate Institute, a graduate school for people interested in medicine. It was an online program so that I could do both Orientation and the internship. After the internship concluded, I was so excited about the next steps I was going to take. Surely after this big internship I would get so many doors open for me.
To my utter disappointment that wasn’t the case. The summer after my sophomore year I applied to a lot of internships with the hopes of at least landing a few. That did not happen as I did not land a single one. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t understand why all these programs thought I was not a good fit for them. That whole summer I beat myself up for not being able to land an internship while most of my peers did. I remember a mentor of mine said to me,
“Why do you feel as though you didn’t do enough? When I look at you, I see a very accomplished young lady. But if you must insist on that feeling, do not just sit in your sorrow. Ask yourself what can I do now that will help me achieve what I want. ”
That advice stuck with me, and instead of sitting around, I took the initiative of improving myself, my skills, and my resume. That the following semester I was very conscious of my goals. I even visited my career center for resume help for the first time. This proved to be one of the choices that helped my resume improve. So, when the summer after my junior year I got the position to intern at the Genetic Center as a research lab intern, I was so excited. My dream had come true. I could work in a world-class research facility and conduct real research that impacted real people. The day I walked in I was nervous and excited at the same time. I got there very early because I did not want to make a bad first impression. When my supervisor arrived, the first thing I noticed was, I was very overdressed. Not that it was a bad thing; however, this simple observation increased my anxiety. I was shown to my desk and introduced to the people I was going to be working with for the next 10 weeks. My supervisor was so nice that I felt a little bit at ease. After that I got to safety training.
After safety training, I was introduced to the projects I was supposed to be working on. In the first meeting the project was explained to me in full detail. I have to be honest, in that moment I was overwhelmed by the new information. I understood the sequential events of the experiment; however, the problem was this information was being fed to me rapidly, and I couldn’t connect the dots in my head as I wasn’t physically seeing the equipment I was going to be using. In my head I wanted to ask questions but what would I ask? It hadn’t clicked in my brain yet.
All my supervisors were very kind. I was initially confused, excited, and nervous to ask questions, so it took a second for me to understand the experiment. After that I got to see all the equipment I was working with and all the labs I was going to spend the next 10 weeks in. Everything was novel and to me.” I wished sophomore year me could see this,” I thought to myself. I was tasked with a list of compounds and a knockout cell line with a specific genetic mutation that we were interested in. My job was to screen the compounds and at the end have a short list of compounds that would continue in the trials to find a medication for this genetic mutation. The first experiment I conducted was under the supervision of my supervisor. I was so nervous I even forgot how to pipette properly. He was continuously patient, and reassuring. Within no time I was okay. The protocol, list of instructions, for this experiment were the ones previously explained to me, but I had not understood any of them because I was too nervous. I became worried that I was going to mess up the experiments. That phrase came back to mind, “What can you do now to help achieve your goal?” I decided then and there I am an intern, I do not know these things, that’s why I am here. I am here to learn. So, I began to ask questions for clarity on what I was doing and why. I found this to be helpful. When I know why, I tend to remember better.
After two weeks the training wheels were off. I was allowed to conduct experiments on my own. I felt very important, sitting at a workbench, I felt I was doing something to help no matter how minuscule it was. All those rejections had culminated to this. If I had not been rejected then I would not have fought harder for this place at the Greenwood Genetic Center, a world-class facility that impacts the lives of people every day with the cutting-edge research they do with genetics as well as genetic counseling.
Through this experience, I gained an inside look at how medications are researched and produced, which reshaped my understanding of modern medicine. Prior to this internship, I believed that drugs were designed for only one specific condition. Learning about drug repurposing revealed that medications can be adapted for multiple illnesses once they are proven safe and effective, demonstrating the flexibility and innovation within pharmaceutical research. Observing how scientists evaluate existing drugs for new uses emphasized the careful analysis, efficiency, and scientific discipline required throughout the development process.
As the internship came to an end, the other interns and I had the opportunity to present our experiences, which further reinforced my interest in pursuing research. I began to understand the long and complex journey medications take before reaching patients, a process that often spans years of testing, screening, and approval, yet remains largely unnoticed by the public. I am grateful to have contributed to this process, even in a small way. Overall, this experience provided me with valuable skills, supportive mentors, and the confidence to continue striving toward my goals. Rather than letting self-doubt hold me back, I am motivated to work harder, improve myself, and become qualified for the opportunities I want to pursue.
Kimberly Sipanela is a senior Medical Biology major graduating spring 2026. After graduating she has plans of either attending medical school or graduate school.