LEAH's Summer Internships

LEAH had two amazing cohorts of LEAH Knox and LEAH Daly Youth Leaders this summer who spent 5 weeks at MIT's Koch Biology Building and Biogen's Community Lab respectively. In addition to all of their experiments, PCR tests, and micro-pipetting, our summer youth enjoyed karaoke, making art out of bacteria, playing taboo, and spending time together. A big thank you to the MassBioEd BioTeach Team and MIT's Lab Instructors for putting together such an excellent lab experience for our youth.

LEAH also had 17 youth from last summer's cohorts who got placed in internships around the Boston and Cambridge area researching everything from how camels regulate their internal body temperature, to Leukemia, to autism and its effects on decision-making. We're grateful to all of our partner organizations who hosted youth in their labs including MIT, Blueprint Medicines, BU GROW, Dana-Farber CURE, the BROAD Institute, UMass Boston, Ragon's RISE program and more.

See below for this summer by the numbers!

— Katie C., LEAH Staff

Learning Not to Fear Financial Aid

All of the workshops that I have had an opportunity to participate in during the LEAH summer program were enjoyable, and I have learned a lot of useful information. The workshop that stood out to me the most was about financial literacy by a guest speaker. Throughout the workshop he covered a lot of topics such as credit card debt, and financial benefits, while also sharing his own experience with finance. The workshop was very insightful and by the end of the workshop he gave a few financial tips that were very practical and very helpful for me to thrive on my own personal finance journey. My main takeaway from the workshop is to build a credit score because it will allow me to qualify for certain financial benefits such as low interest rate on loans.

— Wismicka V., Youth Leader

One of the topics that we talked about that really stood out to me was about financial aid. For as long as I can remember I have feared the entire process because of how challenging it is, but being in a room full of LEAH youth who were practically all in the same boat as me made me feel so much more at ease, and with the help and never-ending reassurance that we all received from the staff, I was able to stop worrying as much.

— Gui S., Youth Leader

What CRP Taught Me

Every CRP workshop was an extremely insightful and interesting experience. Not only was I able to gain a deeper understanding of what the college application process is like, but I was able to have a lot of fun while doing so. Throughout these workshops, the amazing support that we received from Jonathan, Francesca, and Heaven made a huge impact, and I will forever be thankful for everything.

— Gui S., Youth Leader

Our Northeastern University Visit

When I visited Northeastern, I was struck by how inclusive the community and school felt. There were so many clubs and organizations for people with different interests and backgrounds. It was clear that anyone could find a place where they belonged. I could tell from just hearing about it that Northeastern creates an atmosphere where people can feel comfortable and supported.

— Leylani K., Youth Leader

Our Bridgewater State University Visit

My experience at Bridgewater State University was nice. It is a very big campus. The location seemed quiet and calm as it’s far from the city. I liked being able to see the laboratory classrooms and meeting the professor there. This experience overall made me think about how location is an important part of my college search. 

— Samaria P., Youth Leader

Motivation to Keep Pursing STEM

Our summer program at LEAH led us on an extraordinary field trip to MilliporeSigma, a global powerhouse in life research and technology manufacturing. We stepped inside the sleek, modern building of the company, where a team of white-coated scientists greeted us and showed us around. They led us through hallways lined with state-of-the-art labs. Our group was led into a spacious lab where the sights and sounds of all kinds of machinery took over our senses, sparking interesting questions. Afterwards, we were led to a large conference room, where before us sat six highly accomplished scientists and other professionals, each with a unique area of expertise in scientific research. As they spoke about what they do, we could sense that their passion for their work was evident in every word. We got to learn about scientific filters, food science, and how proteins are created for medicine using advanced technology.

I think for us it was an eye-opening experience, especially that many of the concepts they discussed were ones we had learned about during our summer program with LEAH, like bacterial contamination. By the end of the tour and panel discussion, I was left really inspired by all the incredible work that's being done at the company. I would say this field trip really opened my eyes to what the world of science is actually like and motivated me to continue my pursuit of science! 

— Nelli M., Youth Leader

During my field trip to Blueprint Medicines, I had the chance to visit a company that specializes in creating treatments for specific cancers and rare diseases. They focus on precision medicine, which means they develop drugs that target specific genetic changes causing these diseases. I got to see the work of scientists firsthand and learn about their journeys to where they are now. Many of them talked about their paths from school to working at Blueprint Medicines, sharing their experiences in education, research, and what motivated them to work in this field. Hearing their stories made me realize there are many different ways to build a career in science. One of the most exciting parts of the visit was seeing how research in the lab can directly impact real-life medical treatments. The scientists explained how they use data and technology to guide their research, and how important collaboration is in their work. My biggest takeaway from this experience was seeing how meaningful their work is. The treatments they are developing have the potential to save lives, and that really inspired me. It showed me that a career in science can have a direct and positive effect on people's health. This visit made me more interested in pursuing a path where I can contribute to medical research and make a difference in the world.

— Arnab A., Youth Leader

The Kymera Therapeutics field trip was an incredible experience that highlighted the real-world applications of what we studied this summer at LEAH Daly! It was fascinating to see a well-known pharmaceutical company welcome us into their beautiful, high-tech labs and give us a detailed look at how they develop and publish new medicines. The entire visit was inspiring, from learning about their cutting-edge technologies to understanding the rigorous process behind drug discovery and approval.

What stood out to me most was the dedication and collaboration that went into every step of the process. This visit not only expanded my understanding of the drug development process but also showed me how the techniques we learn in our labs can directly impact medical advancements. It was especially interesting hearing about how their approach to targeted protein degradation is so innovative and complex, but how everyone in different fields can work seamlessly together. My takeaway was how biology is so diverse and interconnected at the same time.

Moreover, the trip provided a great opportunity to bond with my fellow classmates. Together, we were able to see how our shared passion for biotechnology can lead to tangible solutions in healthcare. Kymera's forward-thinking approach and their commitment to improving patient outcomes left a lasting impression on me, solidifying my interest in pursuing a career in biotech.

— Lisa O., Youth Leader

LEAH Summer Symposium: Envisioning Myself in the STEM Industry

The summer symposium was a great experience for me and my partner. We got to showcase the knowledge and research skills we attained throughout the LEAH Knox internship. My parents and little brother came to see me in action, and I even invited my chemistry teacher, who was the one who so graciously wrote my recommendation letter. Preparing for the event was no easy task, from the experiments/research to the Google slide designs, there was a lot of attention to detail. But I must say, the teamwork and trust my partner and I cultivated throughout the internship was highlighted throughout the project and was the key that brought it together flawlessly. There was a lot of practice and more in-depth research we had to do to fully understand our topic and be prepared to answer questions. Practicing not only enhanced my understanding, but also made me feel confident while I presented. It gave me a sense of pride in my work and my ability to convey it to others. The summer symposium helped me envision myself in the STEM industry, as part of the next generation of STEM leaders.

— Awan A., Youth Leader

"Something I have learned during this program is patience, which I used to struggle with. Since I am a first-generation student, I’m used to being independent, so working with others is new. Working with my partner in the lab taught me how to collaborate, be patient and that it was ok to make mistakes."

— Minh L., Youth Leader

"Most of our time was spent in a lab. Some examples of labs we worked on included GMO Lab, Sleep Lab, and Antibiotic Lab where we grew bacteria and tested their antibiotic resistance. We also had the privilege of visiting different biotech and biopharma companies in and around the Cambridge area including Blueprint Medicine and Kymera Therapeutics. This was beneficial because we got to talk to scientists and learn more about their jobs and how they became scientists."

— Joceyln L., Youth Leader

"As my internship comes to an end, I am happy to know I can bring the lessons I learned wherever I go. Whether running a PCR and loading a gel, or simply reading an academic paper I’ll be able to reflect upon the skills I learned and used them in my next endeavor. In fact, in less than 3 weeks, I’ll be attending Swarthmore College, the alma mater of our program’s namesake, Leah Deni. At Swarthmore, I’ll be majoring in biochemistry and music. While this is a fairly difficult combination, I know that I’ll find support throughout college through LEAH’s College Persistence Program."



— Presley S., Youth Leader

Ending the Summer Right: LEAH Fun Day!

Fun day started at the office in Chinatown. We began with meditating, and talking about how the summer went. Then, we went around the circle just appreciating someone we had worked with during the summer. Whether you got to know the person very well, or just saw them around the lab, everyone connected somehow in some way during the summer, and we all had great things to say about each other. The appreciation continued when we all created yearbook style posters and went around writing nice things on each other's pages, leaving that memory and message for someone to hold forever. But then started the REAL fun, we took the train to Lucky Strike, starting off with bowling, and being the competitive person I was, I had been talking a little smack to Henoc before and it all blew back on me. He was dusting our whole section and showed that he was a lot more than just a great TA. Everyone was laughing and having a great time, and we started branching out to the pool tables and the arcade. Pool is where I stayed for the rest of my time slowly beating everyone that I was against. I know my personal highlight was beating Jonathan. Slowly people started to leave and say their goodbyes to the great LEAH staff that had shown us so much love and support during the summer and everyone left with laughs, smiles, and new friends that we created along the LEAH journey. 

— Josh L., Youth Leader

A special thank you to our partners & funders who made this summer possible and a huge success!

MIT

MassBioEd

Biogen Community Lab

Massachusetts Life Sciences

Science Education Partnership Award

Sanofi Genzyme

State Street Foundation

Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation

Mabel Louise Riley Foundation

Ipsen Innovation for Patient Care

Moderna

Amgen Foundation

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Kymera Therapeutics

Blueprint Medicines

MilliporeSigma