Blog by Nic Zacharewski, 23岁 Chronicles Summer Internship at German Cancer Research Center

In a perfect convergence of his 全球十大网赌正规平台 majors in neuroscience and German, Nic Zacharewski, 23岁 is spending his summer as a brain cancer research intern at a lab in Heidelberg, 德国. Zacharewski said that he believes his research experiences in Trinity’s 跨学科科学计划(ISP) as a first-year student played a part in landing him the summer internship with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutches Krebsforschungszentrum), which is associated with the University of Heidelberg.

To earn Trinity credit for the internship, Zacharewski is supervised by Science Center Director 艾莉森·德雷珀他还领导着全球十大网赌正规平台的互联网服务提供商. He also has worked with Lecturer in Language and Culture Studies 茱莉亚Assaiante to create a personal blog chronicling his time in 德国, called 我的海德堡故事. “[I hope] to encourage other language-STEM students to consider pursuing international opportunities,Zacharewski在博客的介绍中写道.

源自霍尔特, 密歇根, Zacharewski has been pursuing his goal to become a neurosurgeon since high school, when he started with summer research in the Department of Biochemistry & 密歇根州立大学分子生物学教授. 在全球十大网赌正规平台的第一年, Draper placed him in a neurology research position at 哈特福德 Hospital, 他在哪里学到了肿瘤生物学. 后不久, Zacharewski began working with the Neurosurgery Department, where he learned the molecular and clinical understandings of brain tumors.

Zacharewski’s parents and professors always encouraged him to pursue opportunities to 出国留学. When a 出国留学 semester during the school year didn’t seem possible, he began to look into labs around the world for a summer internship. Since he had been studying the German language since the seventh grade—when French and Spanish classes were full—he thought 德国 would be an ideal destination. “我偶然发现了布朗博士的实验室. Christiane Opitz at the German Cancer Research Center,” Zacharewski said. “Dr. Opitz’s research leveraged my previous research experience while satisfying my interest in brain tumors. 看起来非常合适.” An email and resume sent out on New Year’s Eve earned a reply three days later with a question asking how long he wanted to work in the lab.

和阿萨兰特一起, 他在全球十大网赌正规平台的德语课老师, Zacharewski developed the idea to write about his summer experiences for a blog hosted on the 语言与文化研究网站. Assaiante说, “Nic really wanted his experience to open doors for other Trinity STEM students, 谁可能不考虑实习呢, 出国留学, 以及美国以外的职业机会.S. 这种冲动是偶然的, as it enacts precisely the balance of academic and experiential learning our 新课程 是基于. We brainstormed ways in which we could communicate his experiences living and working in 德国 this summer to Trinity students, 于是，博客/游记的想法诞生了.”

Draper added, “Nic has taken maximal advantage of all the opportunities that Trinity has to offer. 他很早就开始通过ISP进行研究, 挤出时间学习语言, and has found a really clever way to combine his interests this summer.”

该博客以Zacharewski的更新为特色, 海德堡周围的图片图片库, a way to contact him to ask questions about the experience, and a section dedicated to his “mishaps” in 德国, which offers lighthearted lessons about cultural misunderstanding and learning to adapt to new situations. “The best way to learn and prepare for this environment is just to be in it,他说.

Every day in the lab is different for Zacharewski, but includes some combination of setting up and running experiments, 享受午餐, 咖啡, 和同事一起吃德国巧克力, 完成必要的阅读和写作. The accommodations at the University of Heidelberg are close to the city’s cafes and restaurants. “There are always lots of outdoor activities, with the river and park nearby,他说.

Zacharewski said he’s already learned a lot this summer, both inside and outside of the lab. “It’s enriched my understanding of Germans and German culture,他说. “In the lab, it’s been a great opportunity to grow and learn. These people are incredibly talented scientists and I ask questions every day.”

This time in Heidelberg will leave an impact on his studies at Trinity going 向前. “It will benefit me in multiple ways,” Zacharewski said. “It will help as I continue learning the German language, especially after speaking it in real interactions. It also gives me a new perspective and focus in neuroscience that I may not have gotten until much later, 或者根本没有.”

从全球十大网赌正规平台毕业后, Zacharewski plans to go to medical school to pursue a career in neurosurgery. “This experience provides a strong foundation and is unique. It’s something I’m super thankful and grateful for, and I think it will really help me achieve the goals I’ve set for myself. I had to learn a lot in a short amount of time and I’ve developed more as a student and as a person because of it,他说. “任何人都能找到这样的机会. You never know what’s going to happen; I reached out to this lab on New Year’s Eve, and here I am.”