Rivers Seniors Gain Practical Experience in Summer Science Internships

Science faculty member Michael Schlenker P’26, who has directed the program since 2013, provided a brief overview at the assembly and thanked the generous donors whose gifts support the interns with a stipend during their placements, including Mark Klett ’71, who visited campus to attend the presentations. 

Applicants to the selective program submit materials over the winter, including a cover letter and essay detailing their interests and their reasons for pursuing an internship, and then they interview with Schlenker. The Science Department then meets to decide and match applicants to opportunities according to their interests. At 33 interns this year, the program is the largest it has ever been since its founding in 2005. After their internships, all students write a blog post about the experience. 

Students pursued a variety of interests through their internships: shadowing surgeons in the ER, gaining experience in the field of dentistry or orthodontics, working with animals at a veterinary practice, helping children in pediatrics or speech and language therapy, working in a laboratory, or coding, to name just a few experiences students had this summer. Combined with earning a stipend and gaining practical knowledge in a particular field, students also experienced working in real-world settings alongside professionals. During the assembly, they shared reflections on a range of topics, including team meetings, workplace attire, and communication styles.  

Will Lorion ’26 interned with Dr. Stein at Boston Medical Center’s orthopedic surgery division and got to observe surgeries in the OR. “The most meaningful part of interning at BMC was getting to see the continuation of care for specific patients,” Lorion wrote in his blog post. “Since I was there for five weeks, I got to see many patients both pre-surgery, in the operating room, and post op. I absolutely loved getting to see patients gain a much higher quality of life after Dr. Stein operated.”

Seva Bedi ’26 worked with Dr. Russo at Central New England Endodontics and Implantology, where she learned about endodontics, the field of dentistry focused on diagnosing and treating issues related to the dental pulp. She shadowed root canals and researched local anesthetics. “My biggest takeaway is that I learned that dentistry is about treating people, not just treating teeth,” she said.

Liam Keane ’26 worked at Optimal Fitness, where he shadowed personal trainers and worked directly with clients of all ages and skill levels. “I learned there is a lot of science and biomechanics behind training,” he reflected.

Savannah Maldonado ’26 and Anya Carroll ’26 interned with the Latino Health Insurance Program, where they had the opportunity to practice speaking Spanish while enrolling women in the Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. “Through our work with LHIP, we learned the importance of early screenings and detection,” they said at the assembly. 

Many students also gained broader takeaways through their internships that apply to many potential workplaces. Collin Freeland ’26 interned for Jackpine Computing, helping the company navigate cybersecurity threats. The company was undergoing a large merger at the time, which Freeland said gave him an additional set of skills. “I learned that work is often about more than just projects and technical skills; it is also about adapting and finding ways to contribute in a changing environment,” he wrote in his blog post.

Luke Morin ’26 and Lizzy Stewart ’26 interned at Bullhorn in the field of software development, conducting their work remotely. “Working remotely taught us how to communicate clearly and manage our time,” they shared at the assembly.

Whether or not these students find themselves in the same career as their summer internship, it was clear that each internship was a meaningful experience and a growth opportunity. And for many, such as Lily Chung ’26, the knowledge gained on the job changed the way they think about different fields of work. Chung completed her internship working at Longroad Energy, a renewable energy company, where she researched solar energy and proposed a solar model for the Rivers campus as part of her internship. 

“Now, as I drive by solar and wind systems on the highway, I have a much greater appreciation for the yearslong process of making the project a reality,” she wrote in her blog post. “My brief time at Longroad has shown me what it’s like to work in a well-run business that truly exemplifies its values of honesty and excellence.”