Diving into Research with a Summer Internship

by Benjamin Siew

Going into my freshman year, I knew that getting involved in research would be an important aspect of a successful four years as a Microbiology major, but knew little more about it. At my orientation, I met Dr. Jacob T. Watson, who encouraged me to get involved in research and recommended I enroll in his Beyond120 class, Intro to Research in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Having space for another credit, I decided to give it a shot. I learned about the research process, how to present work, and most importantly, how to get involved. With this knowledge, I was eager to start my research journey sooner rather than later, and began studying halophiles with Dr. Maupin-Furlow in the spring semester. I also decided that I wanted to spend my summer doing a research internship, and so began looking into summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, which are research internships sponsored by the NSF. After applying to several with the help of a recommendation letter from Dr. Watson, I was accepted to the University of Georgia’s Microbiology REU!

I was assigned to work in Dr. Timothy Hoover’s lab studying a novel flagellar protein in a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, which is the most common cause of stomach ulcers and the only bacteria known to cause cancer and infects over half of the world’s population at some point. Progress on my project was a slow and bumpy road, but it was rewarding to know that I was helping to create a more thorough understanding of the biology of such a significant species. As a full-time internship, it also gave me valuable insight into what life is like as a full-time researcher and/or graduate student.
Beyond (no pun intended) squirting small volumes of liquids into small tubes and seeing what happens, the program also put a great emphasis on exploring the various career options available in the field of microbiology. This involved touring the Boehringer Ingelheim animal health research facility in Athens, who develops medicines and vaccines for companion animals as well as livestock, giving us insight into what life is like working in industry. We also toured the BSL-3Ag (meaning it has many sophisticated means of preventing in vivo animal pathogens being studied within from escaping) facility on campus, one of very few in the country, and got the rundown on how the various safety and pathogen containment systems work. My favorite part of the program, though, was our behind the scenes tour of the Georgia Aquarium! We were shown how their massive open ocean exhibit is maintained and fed, the on-site microbiology lab, animal hospital, and how the researcher giving us the tour studies shark eggs to learn more about their ecology and microbiome.
The program culminated in my first poster presentation since my sixth-grade science fair, and I dove straight into the deep end with it. The final results of my main experiment were be determined by proteomics which did not come back until the morning of my presentation, and the results were largely surprising. It was an interesting experience and a bit scary but I felt very confident with the rest of my presentation, so despite the universe’s best efforts I had a very positive experience!

My experience with my summer internship, past research, and Beyond120 course have encouraged me to further explore different fields and opportunities available under the microbiology umbrella, and further confirmed my desire to attend a PhD program to pursue a career in research. I’d like to emphasize, though, that my interest in all the above was kicked off by my experience in Intro to Research in Liberal Arts and Sciences, so if you’re interested in research at all yourself, I highly recommend giving the class a shot!

Journey as a Beyond120 Pre-Health Scholar

by Ceasar Rodriguez

In the middle of my sophomore year, I decided to make the switch from the College of Engineering to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Making the switch is where I first met Mrs. Bobbi Knickerbocker, the senior Lecturer/Curriculum coordinator for Beyond120 CLAS Pre-health. She helped me with any questions I had and ensured that the transition in switching between colleges was smooth. I was also introduced to the Beyond120 program, specifically their pre-health opportunities. A new program was being started that same year which was the pre-health scholar service groups. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the starting group and served as an ambassador, overseeing my group as an undergraduate leader. Since then, each fall and spring semesters I have enjoyed serving as a leader of the service group, in which as a team our group works to brainstorm, plan, and implement service group projects for our community. We have done projects such as care packages for the homeless and hospice patients, local beautification projects, and animal shelter visitations to name a few. It is a great opportunity to have meaningful volunteer experience as we are all planning our activities from scratch and we get to choose how we want to help the community.

In the fall of my junior year an internship opportunity was brought to my attention through Beyond120. It was with CDS Family and Behavioral Health Services, specifically their interface youth program. I applied and was able to start that same semester, as the shelter has a location that is local in Gainesville. The program is for youth that are experiencing problems back home, such as skipping school, poor behaviors, poor influences, and problems with family. The completely voluntary program aids the youth in social skills developing programs and transport to school and back. As an intern I worked to contribute to a positive environment and helped the participants and counselors with whatever they needed. Activities included playing with them outside, with games such as basketball and HORSE, playing board games inside, and overall trying to make meaningful communication and experiences for them while they are at the shelter. Through a journal I wrote as part of the Beyond120 internship course I was able to reflect what I experienced each day there. I learned valuable communication skills not just with the counselors but with the participants who ranged from elementary to high school. I was also able to gain new perspectives of others that did not grow up the same way I did. Many were faced with adversary growing up, yet they still had positive attitudes and goals which in turned helped me to continue on with my own goals. I have interned there for two semesters now and I plan on continuing this upcoming year as it is a great experience which I luckily found due to Beyond120.

A couple months ago I got an invitation to be part of the 2022-2023 cohort for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Beyond120 Ambassadors. The ambassador program was established in 2009 but now it has merged with Beyond120 and has been being reimagined with a new vision for the benefit of those in the college. As part of the first group of the reinvented CLAS ambassadors I am looking forward to working with my fellow ambassadors to plan out a great year for all in the college and to hopefully make a positive impact to those around me.

Beyond120 Pre-Health Scholars Service Group

by Isabella Garganese

During the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, it was nearly impossible for pre-health students like me to find opportunities to become involved with the community. Hospitals were not allowing students to volunteer or shadow physicians. Most university organizations held meetings through Zoom, and didn’t offer many in-person events or service activities. In the Fall of 2020, while searching for a way to not only connect with other pre-health students but also to serve the community, I discovered the Beyond 120 Pre-Health Scholars Program. Beyond 120 initially sparked my interest as a way to meet other pre-health students and foster my education in the humanities. I later learned, however, that by joining, I would be able to help shape a newly-launched program.

Beyond 120 Pre-Health Scholars Program enabled me to become not only an ambassador for a growing program, but also a leader of a service group within Beyond 120 that I actually created. While living within the confines of the mandatory lockdown caused by Covid-19 and the correlating feelings of isolation, I came up with the idea of hand-writing letters to residents of assisted living facilities and care homes in the Gainesville area with the hope of spreading some joy to them. Many senior citizens were extremely lonely because they either simply had no visitors, or were prohibited from interacting with or chose not to interact with the wider world out of fear of getting sick. Senior loneliness is a well-documented concern and it has been shown to have an effect on seniors’ mental and physical health. My personal experiences with my own grandparents and stories that I heard from friends inspired me to start a letter-writing campaign to reach out to seniors and hopefully alleviate some of their loneliness. Over the course of the summer in 2021, three other students and I wrote over 200 letters to seniors within the Gainesville community.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing and decorating the letters with the other members of my service group. It was a great way to positively impact the seniors’ lives during a very challenging time. It also gave me the chance to give back to the community in an unconventional way. I believe that sometimes pre-health students focus too much on only volunteering in hospitals or getting involved in solely medical-related areas. Beyond 120 Pre-Health Scholars Program helped me realize that basic humanities are just as important as the sciences when it comes to a career in the medical field. Service groups such as Beyond 120 are an excellent way to explore different interests, meet new people, and develop compassion for others.

Learning the Importance of Hospice Care: Pre-Health Scholars Internship

by Ryanne Thelwell

When I first began my journey at UF, I was equally amazed and overwhelmed by the wealth of programs and organizations available to get involved with. My experience with Beyond120 began with taking Professional Pathways during my very first semester as a student. I learned valuable skills such as how to write a strong resume and cover letter, how to do an effective elevator pitch, and how to best present myself as a candidate for academic applications and job opportunities.

Through this first introduction to what Beyond120 had to offer, I was able to learn about the Pre-Health Scholars Program and take courses that emphasized the importance of the biopsychosocial model in healthcare and how to better navigate the pre-health application process.

In Fall 2021, I had the opportunity to participate in a Pre-Health Scholars internship with Community Hospice and Palliative Care. Entering this internship, I did not have a full understanding of the purpose of hospice and palliative care facilities or how they operated. It is common as a pre-health student to associate healthcare with combative treatments, therapies, and cures. However, hospice and palliative care exposed me to a completely new side of healthcare that puts the comfort of its patients as well as their families above all else while striving to give those close to passing a respectful and dignified experience.

Another intern and I had the privilege of sitting in on recurring interdisciplinary group meetings and shadowing various staff members including an advanced practice nurse, social worker, chaplain, and grief counselor. Over the course of the semester, I was able to observe firsthand how each of these providers work together as a team to care for patients’ physiological health as well as their social, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Shadowing during home visits was an especially eye opening experience as I got to see how hospice staff interact with patients’ loved ones, giving them the opportunity to relax for a moment and express their feelings with someone who is truly hearing them. Preparing people for death and the emotional difficulties that come with it is an integral part of hospice and palliative care. This internship allowed me to observe the biopsychosocial model of healthcare in action while helping shape my future career goals.

Learning about the Corporate World in Atlanta

by Stephanie Odom

During my time at the University of Florida I have been fortunate enough to be heavily involved
in the Bob Graham Fellows Program, UF’s Competitive Mock Trial Team, and a Director of the
Florida Bluekey Speech and Debate Tournament. In all of these opportunities I have been able to
gain a better understanding of the Political Science and Governmental side of things, but I
wanted to go one step further when developing my career and learning more about all of the
opportunities that are out there.

I first decided to go about my career and personal development journey by finding courses at the
University of Florida that focused on self-improvement. That was when I found Brittany
Grubbs-Hodges' strategic self-marking class and found out about Beyond120.
By being a Beyond120 Experiential Scholar I have been able to not only improve myself as a
professional, but I have also been able to further explore the world around me. One of the ways
that I have been able to do this is through excursions. To me, excursions are almost like
professional field trips for college students that are focused on learning about different career
fields and networking with different companies.

When I decided to attend the Beyond120 Atlanta Excursion during the week of Spring Break I
was surrounded by some of the most authentic, ambitious, and kind peers that I am happy to all
have as friends! We all got to have some fun going to the Mercedes Benz Stadium, the Georgia
Aquarium, the Braves Stadium, Gas South Stadium, and many other fun spots in Atlanta! During
all of these visits, I was able to learn about what made these companies successful on a corporate
level, what their day-to-day operations look like, and what the mission of their companies are.
However, the most impactful experiences that I had on the trip were being able to learn about the
people that are behind the operations of some of the most impactful companies in Atlanta. Every
single person that I talked to, whether they were in the Sales Department of Transperfect or
higher-ups at Gas South, has made a very positive impact on my self-growth and taught me about
the importance of being yourself.

Since returning back to Gainesville, I have a new found confidence when searching for
internship opportunities, going to networking events, and speaking up in professional settings. I
know that my degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Science along with being an Experiential
Scholar will make me stand out when taking these next steps in my professional life. It is thanks
to Beyond120 and Gas South for sponsoring our Atlanta excursion that I was able to have this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

TEST POST

Beyond120 and Me

by Harper Self

My first experience with Beyond120 was actually at Preview when I was an incoming freshman. My major was undecided at the time, however, I knew I was interested in a lot of the majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences so I went to a presentation given by Ryan Bruan, the director of Beyond120. He gave a really interesting presentation about the resources available through the Beyond120 Program and I immediately added one of the 1 credit hour professional development courses offered through the program to my schedule! Being undecided about my major I thought it was good to at least get some tips early in my college career about the world of professional development.

I thoroughly enjoyed the class and my instructor, Brittany Grubbs-Hodges was incredible. She helped me polish up my resume, build a good LinkedIn profile and gave me a new perspective about how to succeed in the professional world. Through this class I learned about a special Beyond120 experiential learning opportunity in London. I applied and was so fortunate to be accepted. In London I not only became friends with like-minded Liberal Arts and Sciences students, but I was also able to network with UF CLAS Alumni and learn more about the kinds of career fields my degree could take me. I learned that Liberal Arts and Sciences majors are actually very desirable in the business world and fun fact - we make more money on average in the long run than students from other majors. This was interesting to me, not because I’m all about money, but I think it’s been instilled in me and many others for a long time that stereotypically you cannot do much with a CLAS degree. This trip blew my mind in that sense because there I was meeting dozens of CLAS majors from the University of Florida who have established themselves in such incredible careers abroad.

After that trip the rest was history, I decided on becoming a history and spanish major and have been involved in Beyond120 ever since. This program has been so instrumental in providing me endless opportunities to learn more professional skills even during the Coronavirus quarantine. I became a part of the program’s virtual PR Team over the summer and learned invaluable marketing and social media management skills.

Beyond120 also helped connect me with two CLAS Alumni and earn virtual internships where I was able to use these marketing and social media management skills in a real professional environment.

I think my involvement in Beyond120 has made me a better and more confident person. I no longer feel lost and confused about entering the professional world because I know I have an arsenal of essential skills thanks to Beyond120.

Beyond120 Excursions

by Brandon Stone
As a microbiology major, I consider myself a man of many cultures.  My time is mostly spent in clubs and looking at the little things in life.  When I’m not making horrible puns in my first two sentences, I enjoy boxing and participating in student organizations. I am mostly involved in Best Buddies, child advocacy, and UF’s International Genetically Engineered Machine team (iGEM). Most of my involvement stems from an innate desire to give every individual the chance at a happy and normal life. This drive guided me toward conducting genetic engineering research so that I may help treat genetic diseases in the future. 

I was able to participate in two of Beyond120’s excursions to Tallahassee and London. Both trips were extremely valuable for networking with UF alumni and providing future career opportunities. Students in our group had various majors and career plans, with some still searching for a path to follow.  Even with such a multifaceted audience, the alumni were able to offer advice that resonated with each undergraduate. Such outreach was possible because of Beyond120’s diverse selection of alumni.

While visiting an alumnus at TransPerfect, an international translation company, we were also introduced to his co-workers. Each employee had a different background and skill set, but the one that I connected to the most was the hiring manager. He listed useful tips ranging from how to give a proper handshake to resume etiquette and how to ace an interview.  His advice was of great importance to me as it enhanced my CV and demeanor during interviews.

Overall, my favorite experience was participating in Beyond120’s London Excursion during Spring break as it also coincided with my birthday.  Despite only having known me for a few days, the other students surprised me with a signed card and sang happy birthday to me.  This, of course, was promptly followed by a night out in London. I left Florida hardly knowing anyone on this trip, but when I returned, I had a whole new group of friends. To me, that alone was worth the trip. 