Centre News

Before beginning his internship with Bexion Pharmaceuticals,
Will Geisen ’11 (second from left) and other members of Centre’s
football team spent time in England.

Laura Hansen ’12 is interning with the University of Alabama at
Birmingham (UAB) Sparks Clinic, which helps a variety of
children with special needs.

Chelsea Apple ’11 is currently an editorial intern for the assistant
editor at Nashville Lifestyles magazine.

Whether they are traveling, volunteering, making some extra cash or a combination of the three, Centre College students make good use of their time in the summer. This is also a season when students take the opportunity to conduct research or complete internships.

Pharmaceutical innovations

Will Geisen ’11 of Edgewood, Ky., is interning with Bexion Pharmaceuticals, located in Covington, Ky.

“Bexion is small company that’s currently on its way to begin the Phase 1 clinical trials of FDA drug approval for its anti-brain tumor drug, SapC-DOPS,” Geisen says.

A typical day for Geisen encompasses “reading recent articles on anti-tumor drugs and different types of cancer” in the morning before reporting his findings. In the afternoon, he conducts lab research at the University of Cincinnati Medical Campus.

Geisen, who plans to pursue a career in medicine, regards the research component as the most valuable aspect of the internship.

“This internship is giving me a great deal of insight on what it takes for a drug to actually reach the market and all of the work that goes into drug formulation. It’s also given me a great deal of knowledge about the disease itself and how it affects people.”

He also hopes to share his research with the Centre community at next year’s RICE Symposium, an annual event in which students showcase their research projects, internship experiences and creative works.

Sparks and shadowing

Psychology and French double-major Laura Hansen ’12 of Pinson, Ala., is interning with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Sparks Clinic. The clinic helps a variety of children with special needs, including those with autism.

“I’ve always had an interest in working with children with autism, so I began searching for an internship in Birmingham where I could see how autism is diagnosed,” Hansen says.

The internship is providing her with the opportunity to explore several career options. “I’ve always planned to do something involving clinical psychology in the future,” she says. “However, I’m still deciding in what direction I’d like to go.”

When not in the autism clinic, Hansen shadows patients as they see therapists throughout the clinic.

“I’ve observed children as young as three and as old as 14 as the Sparks therapists try to diagnose exactly what is different about each child,” Hansen says. “The clinic offers a rare chance to see the multifaceted process of diagnosing disorders within children.”

Nashville Life

Chelsea Apple ’11 of Hermitage, Tenn., discovered Nashville Lifestyles when browsing through the magazine racks at a bookstore.

“It looked hip, fresh and very professional for a local magazine, and their editorial office was located right in my hometown,” Apple says.

After contacting the editor and submitting some sample work, Apple is now an editorial intern for the assistant editor at the magazine.

An English major and opinions editor for the Cento (Centre’s student newspaper), Apple is interested in pursuing a career in the journalism.

“I’ve always been comfortable with words and uncomfortable with routine, and I’d prefer a career that gets me outside, exploring the community,” she says. “That’s why a magazine internship—and a career in journalism—seems ideal: the pace is demanding but not too strenuous, and you get to meet different kinds of people and experience all different facets of the community. It’s something new every week, with every story.”

Apple regards the writing experience as the most valuable part of her internship. “I’ll be able to point to these articles when I’m applying for a future job, so the experience that I’m gaining now will follow me into the future,” Apple says. “Plus, I really like seeing my name in print!”

Apple is receiving funding from the Centre Internship Plus program for her internship. Through Career Services, Centre Internship Plus allows students to apply for exciting, high-quality internship experiences—some of which are for academic credit—with extra financial support. Students whose internships are approved receive up to $1,500 to help with expenses.