Interns and mentors from the class of 2023–2024. (Photo by Samuel Lopez.)
NCI Frederick recently bid farewell to its 33rd class of Werner H. Kirsten student interns. Having completed their senior year of high school—and a rigorous year-long internship—the students are off to confront their next big challenge.
The campus recognized them all in the program’s first in-person closing ceremony since 2019. Though it was small, the NCI staff members who coordinate the program agreed it was a moment of celebration.
“The staff at NCI Frederick is exceptionally proud of you. We hope you’re proud of yourselves,” said Julia Bakhru, WHK program coordinator in the Office of Scientific Operations, in her opening remarks to the interns.
“It takes fortitude, resilience, and a willingness to make mistakes to be successful in any internship, let alone a year-long one in between your junior and senior years of high school,” she said.
Pride was warranted, said Walter Hubert, Ph.D., who advises the program. He told the interns the ceremony was “the end of the beginning” and reminded them that people from many fields and backgrounds contribute to progress against cancer—and so could they, even if pursuing a career in science took them to roles outside of the laboratory.
That diversity became a theme as Chris Kane, Ph.D., program officer in the Office of Scientific Operations, announced each intern’s accomplishments and oversaw the distribution of certificates. The students’ efforts spanned everything from cell biology to public–private partnerships.
Interns Leave a Mark on NCI Frederick
The honor roll of projects was a poignant reminder of each intern’s legacy. The WHK program’s multitude of benefits for its interns is well recognized, but less discussed is the interns’ own influence on NCI Frederick. Even at their young age, they represent the people who can advance science, as Hubert said. WHK mentors see them as paragons of ideas, potential, and inspiration.
“Interns symbolize the future of science, and we can impact it by helping them grow,” said Nadya Tarasova, Ph.D., head of the Synthetic Biologics Facility and veteran mentor, when asked what the interns mean to her.
Opportunities like these are what draw some mentors back to the program every year. Long-time mentor Ira Daar, Ph.D., chief of the Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, said his primary reason for participating is that the interns always bring a mixture of “enthusiasm, naïve curiosity, and the opportunity for other laboratory members to gain experience in teaching young students.” Put another way, it’s a chance to grow and shake up the norm.
Of course, Daar added, there’s also the chance to give an intern “a view and experience into the world of science that, occasionally, is life altering.” Several mentors echoed that view.
Even new mentors feel the interns’ influence. Tammie Ford, environmental health supervisor, took her first interns this year with an experienced co-mentor, Ron Kunz, protective services manager. Afterward she said, “These young people are exceptional workers, and I have learned as much from them as I hope they have from me.”
Ford’s group worked the interns’ interests into its projects, which often meant getting to see and approach business from new and eye-opening perspectives. Everyone walked away with something valuable.
“The interns we have had over the years were so motivated they gave us the drive to do so much more,” Kunz said, speaking of those his group has mentored.
In some cases, the interns give their mentors deeply existential inspiration. Tarasova takes joy in seeing their lives changed, while first-time mentor Deanna West, director of the Scientific Library, said interns mean “hope” to her—that she was getting to watch the future of science take root.
Daar feels similarly, saying the interns represent “the hope and aspirations of a vibrant future for generations of scientists, but for those who decide science isn’t for them—future professionals with high standards and a strong work ethos.”
Even 33 years in, the program is still inspiring those involved. One of its core principles, after all, is to recapture some of science’s intrinsic enchantment and help the interns meet their futures with more confidence—and in doing so, give everyone a shot at a brighter future. Small wonder why so many mentors return year after year.
“I definitely will keep mentoring WHK as long as work permits,” Ford said.
Teaser image on blogroll is of intern Brandon Tran accepting his certificate from Carrie Wagerman, Office of Scientific Operations, while Chris Kane prepares to introduce the next intern in the ceremony. Photo by Deanna West.
Samuel Lopez leads the editorial team in Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media (SPGM). He writes for newsletters; informally serves as an institutional historian; and edits scientific manuscripts, corporate documents, and sundry other written media. SPGM is the creative services department and hub for editing, illustration, graphic design, formatting, multimedia, and training in these areas.
