FILTER:
Location
Year
Boston Summer 2023: Industry Volunteers Step Up to Share Insights with Summer 2023 Cohort!
Career Institute: The Project Onramp 2023 cohort kicked off their summer with a “Career Institute” run by Bottom Line. This event was designed to set interns up for success. The workshops started with ice breakers and some peer networking, so the cohort of 200 students working at 78 different companies, could get to know each other. We then dove into topics like building a relationship with your supervisor, setting up a good organizational system at work, and having a growth mindset. The event ended with interns sharing their excitement (and nerves) about their very first day in the life science industry!
Networking While Learning: Once all undergraduates had started their internships, they participated in virtual professional development sessions every few weeks. The sessions covered areas like networking fundamentals, giving and receiving feedback, essential career skills as well as an overview of career paths in the life sciences. These sessions were run by industry professionals – C suite as well as early career folks – who were able to offer insights on personal and professional growth, and help our undergraduates build essential networks in this industry. We ended the summer with a celebration hosted by BioMed Realty, where interns had the chance to thank mentors and supervisors, and network with people from our 78 partner companies.
Career Conversations: Project Onramp interns used Life Science Cares’ One-to-One platform for career conversations with industry professionals throughout the summer. One to One is an easy to use app where interns can choose for a variety of life science industry professionals, who have volunteered to provide their time and insights to students hoping to better understand the career opportunities available to them in the industry. Many of these conversations turn into long term mentoring relationships and even lead to full time work for some lucky graduates!
Philadelphia Summer 2023 Events
Prep Day 2023: The Project Onramp PHL 2023 cohort kicked off their summer with a “Prep Day” of career development workshops run by Heights Philadelphia. During this day, students heard introductory remarks from Heights and Life Science Cares staff, an industry partner (Marinus Pharmaceuticals), and participated in Heights workshops like Conquering Your Summer Internship, Career Development Starts Now, Cultural Competency in the Workplace, Project Management, & Professional Communication.
Advice and Career Insights from Industry Professionals: After students started their internships, they participated in a series of virtual and in-person workshops on topics like mentorship, networking, and exploring career pathways in the life sciences. Students were especially interested in candid conversations with our experts, about their life experiences, interests, and career paths. These sessions were run by industry professionals many from Project Onramp partner companies, with support from Heights Philadelphia.
Internship Showcase and Send-Off Gift: We ended the summer with a Project Onramp Showcase hosted by Spark Therapeutics and Cyto | PHL, where interns had the chance to share highlights from their summer experience, receive a Project Onramp send-off gift, and network with people from Life Science Cares partner companies.
New York Summer 2023: Interns Ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange
First Year of Project Onramp NY: With a cohort of 13 talented and driven undergraduates, Project Onramp New York City launched this summer. Interns participated in several virtual professional development events run by industry professionals – to learn about soft skills essential to career success and to hear from people working in different sectors of the industry.
Speed Networking Proves a Success: In addition, students attended a fun “speed networking” event, hosted by Janus Properties, NYEDC and PWC, where undergrads and industry professionals had a revolving round of introductions and career conversations. Delicious refreshments spurred a lot of casual networking, as well as deeper connections made.
They Rang the Bell! The summer was capped by an amazing experience at the New York Stock Echange. Thanks to Johanna Grossman and the NYSE, students were treated to a presentation and breakfast in the historic NYSE building at 11 Wall Street, before proceeding to the trading floor to ring the opening bell on August 17th 2023.
Bay Area Summer 2023: Impactful Industry and Student Engagement
Overview of Biotech in the Bay Area: Project Onramp Bay Area kicked off the summer with a dynamic Talk Series featuring renowned industry leaders, innovators, and experts hosted by our partner, BioCom California. These interactive sessions delved into career pathways, biotech in the Bay Area, and insightful discussions aimed at inspiring the next generation of life science professionals.
Mentoring: Throughout the summer months, Project Onramp Bay Area hosted several mentoring sessions, providing a platform for professionals from diverse backgrounds to connect, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful relationships. These events facilitated valuable networking opportunities and fostered a sense of community within the biotech ecosystem.
Career Development Workshops: Committed to empowering individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their careers, Project Onramp Bay Area in conjunction with Genentech, organized a series of career development workshops. These sessions covered a wide range of topics, including resume building, interview preparation, and personal branding, equipping participants with actionable insights to navigate their career paths effectively.
San Diego Summer 2023: Students Receive 1:1 Mentorship from Local Industry Professionals
Virtual Professional Development Workshops: San Diego launched the first year of Project Onramp with a cohort of 16 interns working at area companies. Students participated in summer professional development workshops which included a primer on networking from Bench International, as well as a session on giving and receiving feedback when working on a team.
Mentorship: Each intern was paired with an industry professional from a San Diego biotech/biopharma company, who reflected the student’s career aspirations – for a series of three meetings throughout the summer. These meetings covered topics like building a career, and also the challenge of bringing your authentic self to work. Students talked about everything from company culture, to building technical skills, to imposter syndrome, with their mentors.
End of Summer Celebration: At the end of the summer, we celebrated the interns at our Internship Showcase, hosted by Mirati Therapeutics at their beautiful offices in Torrey Pines. This feel-good event was attended by staff from Life Science Cares and Project Onramp partner companies, as well as industry professionals and community organizations eager to meet the interns and find out what Project Onramp is all about.
Host an Intern
[Form]
Amina Addaberkane
Home Town: East Boston, MA
College: Tufts University
Department: Business
Company: Ardelyx
Zhao Pei (Andy) Liang
Home Town: San Leandro, CA
College: University of California, San Diego
Department: Software Engineering
Company: Guardant Health
Weini Lin
Home Town: Santa Rosa, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Clinical Trial Quality
Company: Guardant Health
Vy Vo
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Data Science
Company: Maze
Violeta Solorio
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: University of California, Santa Cruz
Department: Information Technology
Company: Ardelyx
Victor Arroyo
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: Juniata College
Department: Chemistry
Company: Arcus
Vianca Lopez
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: University of Southern California
Department: Genetics Medicine
Company: AbbVie
Valeria Espinoza Orozco
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of Redlands
Department: Medicinal Chemistry
Company: Revolution Medicine
Terryon Ellis
Home Town: Richmond, CA
College: University of Oklahoma
Department: Finance
Company: Dynavax
Susana Lau
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: Claremont McKenna College
Department: Finance
Company: Revolution Medicine
Steve Nguyen
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: San Jose State University
Department: High Performance Computing
Company: Guardant Health
Sofia Postigo
Home Town: Foster City, CA
College: Cornell University
Department: gRed Clinical Operations
Company: Genentech
Sofia Munoz Pacheco
Home Town: Santa Clara, CA
College: Barnard College
Department: Discovery Pharmacology
Company: Arcus
Sinahy Fragoso-De la Paz
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: Cornell University
Department: EHS
Company: AbbVie
Shivani Kolla
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Business System Analyst
Company: AbbVie
Saron Asfaw
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: Santa Clara University
Department: Global Regulatory Strategy
Company: AbbVie
Samantha Sandoval
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: University of California, Santa Cruz
Department: Immuno-oncology Discovery
Company: AbbVie
Sadiyah Aly
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Research & Development
Company: Marea Therapeutics
Ruchira Mirji
Home Town: San Ramon, CA
College: Arizona State University
Department: Biology
Company: Arcus
Raymond Ruiz
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Department: Quality Systems
Company: Nkarta
Queenie Wu
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Biopharma Business Operations
Company: Guardant Health
Priscilla Bravo-Santos
Home Town: San Pablo, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Research Intern - Raulet Laboratory
Company: University of California, Berkeley
Nisa Mostarshed
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: San Francisco State University
Department: Pharmaceutical Technical
Company: Genentech
Naomi Pérez
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: University of Redlands
Department: Finance
Company: Revolution Medicine
Michelle Le
Home Town: Novato, CA
College: University of California, Santa Barbara
Department: CMC Project Management
Company: Dynavax
Lily Ontiveros
Home Town: Petaluma, CA
College: Santa Clara University
Department: Marketing
Company: SVA Consulting
Laura Jojoa
Home Town: Santa Rosa, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Harvest Lab
Company: Faust Wines
Katie-Ann Nguyen
Home Town: Santa Rosa, CA
College: Dominican University of California
Department: Regulatory Affairs
Company: Dynavax
Kaileiani Louie
Home Town: San Bruno, CA
College: City College of San Francisco
Department: Quantitative, Translational, and ADME Sciences
Company: AbbVie
Jolaiya Aldridge
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of Southern California
Department: Toxicology Group
Company: Revolution Medicine
Jessica Ojeda
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: City College of San Francisco
Department: Programmable Cell Signaling
Company: Lyell
Jerry Padilla
Home Town: Mountain View, CA
College: San Jose State University
Department: Software Engineering
Company: AbbVie
Gaby Ureña del Rio
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Manufacturing
Company: Sutro Biopharma
Dulce Pacheco
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: Brown University
Department: Research Assistant
Company: Brown University
Devin Perez
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of San Francisco
Department: Supply Chain
Company: Arcus
Daniel Recendez
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: Mission College
Department: Medicinal Chemistry
Company: Revolution Medicine
Chris Shashikanth
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: West Valley College
Department: Validation
Company: Nkarta
Chris Chan
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: City College of San Francisco
Department: Human Resources
Company: Dynavax
Brianna Rangel Arroyo
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: Yale University
Department: T-cell Rejuvenation
Company: Lyell
Brandon Zelaya
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: Santa Clara University
Department: Compensation/Total Rewards/HR
Company: Guardant Health
Ava Thompson
Home Town: Menlo Park, CA
College: Case Western Reserve University
Department: Device Engineering
Company: Gilead
Angel Torres
Home Town: Menlo Park, CA
College: California State University Fullerton
Department: Administration
Company: Pliant
Andres Rodriguez
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Oncology Early Development/CMC
Company: AbbVie
Anandita Pandey
Home Town: Sunnyvale, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Private Equity
Company: Soffinova
Anamary Mena-Moreno
Home Town: San Leandro, CA
College: California State University Channel Islands
Amy Huerta Alvarado
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: Sonoma State University
Department: Toxicology Group
Company: Revolution Medicine
Alyssa Hernandez
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Immuno-oncology Discovery
Company: AbbVie
Aingela Kattapuram
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Cell Line Development
Company: Genentech
Victor Arroyo
Home Town: Redwood City, CA
College: Juniata College
Department: Chemistry
Company: Sutro BioPharma
Valeria Espinoza
Home Town: Burlingame, CA
College: Juniata College
Department: Manufacturing
Company: Allay Therapeutics
Tiffany Valencia
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: Lehigh University
Department: Quality Assurance
Company: Cytokinetics
Sina (Aster) Kibrom
Home Town: Menlo Park, CA
College: San Diego State University
Department: Corporate Communications
Company: Coherus Biosciences
Shivani Kolla
Home Town: San Jose, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Research Infrastructure
Company: Maze Therapeutics
Semhal Abera
Home Town: Oakland, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Metabolic Disease
Company: insitro
Saron Asfaw
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: Santa Clara University
Department: Clinical Operations
Company: Pliant Therapeutics
Ruchira Mirji
Home Town: San Ramon, CA
College: Arizona State University
Department: Therapeutic Innovation
Company: Pfizer
Rebecca Yilma
Home Town: Oakland, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Metabolic Disease
Company: insitro
Noel Salmeron
Home Town: Woodside, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Industry Documents Library
Company: UCSF Library
Naomi Pérez
Home Town: Woodside, CA
College: University of Redlands
Department: Finance
Company: Revolution Medicine
Nancy Moran
Home Town: Burlingame, CA
College: University of Southern California
Department: Project Engineering
Company: XL Construction
Michelle Le
Home Town: Novato, CA
College: University of California, Santa Barbara
Department: Medical Affairs
Company: Santen Pharmaceutical
Magaly Vargas-Rodales
Home Town: San Carlos, CA
College: University of Redlands
Department: Quality Assurance
Company: Sutro BioPharma
Lily Ontiveros
Home Town: Santa Clara, CA
College: Santa Clara University
Department: Digital Marketing
Company: Coherus Biosciences
Jolaiya Aldridge
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of Southern California
Department: Medicinal Chemistry
Company: Arcus Biosciences
Jasmine Martinez
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of California, Merced
Department: Human
Company: Cytokinetics
Gloria Gee
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: Cornell University
Department: EHS
Company: Revolution Medicine
Gaby Ureña del Rio
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Medicinal Chemistry
Company: Arcus Biosciences
Even Tsegai
Home Town: Santa Clara, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Neuroscience
Company: insitro
Erina Chen
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of California, Santa Cruz
Department: Lead Development and Optimization
Company: Arcus Biosciences
Dulce Pacheco Alvarez
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: Brown University
Department: Project Onramp
Company: Life Science Cares Bay Area
Cintia Huerta-Aguilera
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: University of California, Merced
Department: Human Resources
Company: Allay Therapeutics
Christine Mazzi
Home Town: Berkeley, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Rotation - Project Management, Clinical Development,Special Projects, and Executive Management
Company: AN2 Therapeutics
Chiamaka Onwuli
Home Town: Berkeley, CA
College: University of California, Berkeley
Department: Drug Product Development
Company: Gritstone bio
Avelle Calamerin
Home Town: San Francisco, CA
College: City College San Francisco
Department: Communities
Company: SmartLabs
Ava Thompson
Home Town: Menlo Park, CA
College: Case Western Reserve University
Department: Manufacturing
Company: Allay Therapeutics
Asupa Mila
Home Town: East Palo Alto, CA
College: California State University, Sacramento
Department: Market Assessment
Company: Allay Therapeutics
Anna Akpawu
Home Town: Oakland, CA
College: San Francisco State University
Department: PTDU
Company: Genentech
Andrea Nevarez-Pena
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: University of Redlands
Department: Clinical Pharmacology
Company: Revolution Medicine
Anandita Pandey
Home Town: Sunnyvale, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Protein Biochemistry
Company: Sutro BioPharma
Anamary Mena-Moreno
Home Town: Camarillo, CA
College: California State University, Channel Islands
Department: Legal
Company: insitro
Alondra Manriquez
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: St. Edward's University
Department: PTDU
Company: Genentech
Aingela Kattapuram
Home Town: Lake Forest, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Department: Computational Biology
Company: insitro
Laura Valencia
Home Town: Santa Rosa, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Analytical Development
Company: Sutro BioPharma
Brianna Rangel Arroyo
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: Yale University
Department: Cell Engineering
Company: Arcus Biosciences
Home Town: San Mateo, CA
College: Yale University
Department: Cell Engineering
Company: Arcus Biosciences
Brianna Rangel Arroyo
“There wasn’t a specific point where I decided not to attend medical school. It was a natural transition because I had started working with Project Onramp, which exposed me to working in the lab at Bay Area biotech companies,” Yale University senior Brianna Rangel Arroyo explained.
Science has always been Brianna’s forte, and she remembers gravitating toward biology classes in high school. Today, this first-generation Latina is about to finish her undergraduate degree with a major in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Like many biology majors, Brianna figured she’d end up in medical school. That is until she discovered the world of biotech through Project Onramp.
“My viewpoint has shifted, and I see myself starting my career in biotech.”
Brianna has completed multiple internships with Project Onramp, including a medical device company and Genentech. Most recently, she was a cell engineer at Arcus Biosciences, a clinical-stage, global biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapies. She discovered the internship through her long-time mentor at Peninsula Bridge, a local college access program that partners with Project Onramp.
“Cell engineering is something I’ve always wanted to try, so I applied. Since my first interview with Arcus, I felt they wanted to make sure that I was exposed to as many experiences in the lab as possible. And I felt that they really wanted to mentor me through building my resume and toolbox of skills,” Brianna said.
She spent the summer culturing and growing cell lines, and once she had enough of a cell population, she would edit the cell genomes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The lab work was an incredible experience, especially because, according to Brianna, “it’s difficult to find opportunities like that.”
Brianna also enjoyed getting to know fellow interns. Unlike in previous internships, where she was one of two interns in her building, Brianna regularly interacted with six to eight other interns.
“When our lab activities had been completed, we would come together to discuss what we had been doing throughout the day. If one of us was having trouble, we would troubleshoot. It was a think tank for us, where we would bounce thoughts off of each other.”
Those gatherings were probably some of Brianna’s favorite memories of the summer. Another crucial moment was when she presented her work at the end of the summer. One of the executives praised her for “very effectively communicating and synthesizing the work in a way that was understandable to those not familiar with CRISPR.”
“It was kind of a realization for me that over the years, I’ve just developed this ability to be able to fully understand my own work and also be able to pass that information on to other groups of people, whether it be other scientists or other individuals, who don’t have that same training.”
Brianna credits this ability to her upbringing: “At home, I speak to my family in Spanish, so I have to regularly talk to a group of people who don’t have formal training in science and also who don’t speak in the same language that I am working in.”
As Brianna looks to her next steps, she does see graduate school in her future, but for now, she is “scoping the field” for general biology positions. She is happy to know that, whatever she does, she can leverage her Arcus network for support.
“I still get messages from some of the employees and executives at Arcus who offered to help me with my job search process. So, I’ll definitely be using those connections, especially this upcoming semester, as I start to reach my graduation date.”
Home Town: Santa Rosa, CA
College: University of California, Davis
Department: Analytical Development
Company: Sutro BioPharma
Laura Valencia
Laura Valentina, a senior at UC Davis, was introduced to the world of chemistry at just 13 years old. While watching her grandmother craft homemade remedies using kitchen ingredients, Laura first understood the power of chemical reactions.
“I was fascinated. What reactions are happening? How is she determining concentrations, and how does she know that these ingredients could cure someone?”
This curiosity followed Laura as she moved from Columbia to the United States, attended high school in the Bay Area, and then enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College. During her time at SRJC, Laura volunteered in a lab to gain hands-on experience. Upon transferring to UC Davis in 2022, she declared a biochemistry and molecular biology major.
“I fell in love with biochemistry. I was immediately intrigued by amino acids and proteins.”
When Laura was hired for a Project Onramp summer internship with Sutro Biopharmaceuticals, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to gain more experience in a lab setting. Sutro is a public biotechnology company focused on clinical-stage drug discovery, development, and manufacturing.
As part of the Analytical Development department, Laura worked with two mentors in the lab every day. She spent her internship preparing buffers, analyzing samples, programming high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) machines, and interpreting data with her mentors. She used her expertise from organic and physical chemistry classes to excel in her responsibilities.
She went to the Chemistry department during her free time to ask questions and learn more. She was immediately welcomed and invited to team meetings with the CEO.
“It was so cool to hear about the research and new drugs they were coming up with. The Sutro team went above and beyond my expectations. I felt so happy and valued there. And spoiled, too!”
Laura never thought she’d end up working in biotech, but now sees herself building a career in the industry. And her career goals extend beyond securing a particular job or title.
“No one looks like me in those settings. I was taking up space but didn’t have a position of power there. So maybe I can be in a position to influence more people and get more Latinas and Afro-Latinas in the biotech world.”
Laura shared four of her biggest takeaways from the Sutro experience:
1. Be kind to yourself. You won’t know everything when you’re in a new setting, but remember that you’re still learning.
2. Do not tell yourself no! When she was selected to work with Sutro, Laura had no background in analytical chemistry and had to remind herself: “Let them tell you no. When you’re given an opportunity – take it!”
3. Try to have fun and learn as much as you can. Be vocal about what you need and what you want to know.
4. Most importantly: “We need more bi-lingual people in biotech. As a minority and as a Latina, we’re underrepresented and underrated, so we need more people that take up space in those industries that are male-dominated.”
Now, she’s keeping in touch with her mentors and peers from Sutro, reflecting on her experience and thinking about her bright future.
“I’m the American dream of my parents and my abuelita.”
Laura Valentina is just getting started.
We partner with companies looking for talented undergraduates from low-income backgrounds for rewarding summer work.
To explore diversifying your internship pipeline for summer 2024, please contact us.
What is Project Onramp?
The life sciences industry offers extraordinary opportunities for exciting, stable and family sustaining careers.
But for students interested in working in life sciences– particularly those without strong existing connections to people in the industry– it can be difficult to gain access to career exploration and early work experiences.
Project Onramp creates paid summer internships for talented, motivated college students who are under-resourced and often first-generation, helping to bridge the opportunity gap for promising young people. Students gain valuable hands-on experience and companies build non-traditional talent pipelines.
Who are our Student Support Partners?
Project Onramp sources undergraduates for our program through a variety of partnerships with leading community-based organizations around the country.
Our most significant student support partners are college success organizations, which support low-income, under-represented and first generation college students with academic advising, career coaching and wrap-around support for other challenges.
Project Onramp also partners directly with four-year colleges and universities who provide a dedicated Project Onramp staff member to guide and support students through the Project Onramp experience.
How it Works:
The History of Project Onramp
There are three major obstacles to building diverse career pathways for under-represented & under-resourced students. Project Onramp supports students to overcome all three:
Access
Under-resourced & under-represented students often lack the social capital to identify and compete for summer internships.
Project Onramp companies set aside internship opportunities specifically for Project Onramp students, ensuring that the biases that present themselves in traditional hiring processes are not repeated here.
Awareness
A young person can’t be what they don’t see. Ensuring students have broad insight into the industry underlines the possibilities they might consider.
We work with companies to design internship opportunities that involve meaningful work and encourage companies to allow interns the opportunity to see roles across the organization. Additional professional development workshops, industry leadership panels and networking sessions scheduled throughout the summer ensure Project Onramp students receive a holistic picture of the industry and its opportunities.
Belief
Students must believe they belong in the life sciences.
By building a peer cohort model and connecting students in small groups with committed industry mentors, we build student confidence. Project Onramp also supports our alumni, with one-on-one career conversations and by sharing relevant job opportunities.
Since its founding in summer 2019, Project Onramp has matched 700+ students with meaningful, often transformative work experiences at hundreds of life science companies.
National
Lila Neel
National Director, Project Onramp