Being accepted into PREP was exciting, but it was more of a timid, contained excitement. This was because I had been rejected by another internship I desired more. Now as I head towards the end of this internship I realize that attending PREP was the best scenario and SHOULD have been my first choice. In other words, I am very happy that a harsh rejection paved the way to this opportunity at Fred Hutch. I did not anticipate it to be as rich of an experience as it was within a two-week span.
I firmly believe the people here at the Hutch are what makes this experience special. At this internship, learning about cancer was only the icing on the cake. A big part that I did not expect was being exposed to a diverse group of people working in many fields in various stages of their careers. These amazing people I got to meet and most importantly listen to, opened my eyes.
I met one of these people at the SURP poster session. This was where we watched the undergraduate interns present their culminating projects. The room was filled to the brim with people and activity. The academic environment was invigorating and stimulating. I remember that as I walked around the room looking at posters, an unfamiliar man approached me with enthusiasm. He was very interested in the internship I was attending and asked me a flurry of questions. His name was Rohan. As we talked, I became very invested in my conversation with Rohan. I learned that he was a judge at the poster session and had previously been a SHIP intern. He is currently doing clinical research with patients at a company also based here (I cannot recall the name). It was a riveting 20 minutes of conversation that continues to stick with me because I have never met a professional at this stage of their career who wanted to spend his time to talk to me. I loved that I had a rare 1 on 1 conversation with an academic you would never typically meet, who had a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan is a virologist with expertise in HIV that came to Seattle from Botswana, Africa. Her diverse background also meant she had a unique and personal story to tell, and in her talk, she brought us through the journey that took her here to Fred Hutch. She was a bright, compassionate person who genuinely cared about improving the wellbeing of the world. Her journey from working in Africa to the US and her transition as a foreigner inspired me. Seeing a scientist find success coming from a developing country gave me confidence that I will be able to overcome obstacles in the face of my dreams. Even without the facilities for HIV research at her university, she did not let go of her hopes of defeating HIV and forced her way into the field. She showed me that anybody can can grow and change into a better person. She told us that when she first had the courage to ask a visiting professor for advice, she could not even make eye contact while talking to him because she was so shy. Now she was a charismatic, confident and intelligent person who can contribute to the HIV crisis and make the world a better place.
Comments