Hello readers! As I wrap-up my third and final term with the NCI Reproductive Rights and Health internship, I’ve been reflecting on everything this experience has granted me. Dr. Lederer and I submitted our completed manuscript for publication on factors associated with STI knowledge in college students. At the end of May, we’ll be heading to Denver, Colorado to present at the American College Health Association (ACHA) annual meeting on our work. This is the grand finale of our work, what we’ve been working towards and I couldn’t be more excited!
I’ll say that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows: we aimed high by submitting to Journal of Adolescent Health and as we expected, we were denied. We expected this, but it was still a small blow. With a few edits, we are now submitting to Preventative Medicine. I think while disappointing, this was a good experience to have in my internship as I was able to better understand the trials of research publication and the resilience it takes to be a researcher.
By working with Dr. Lederer, I determined the career path that I’m going to love AND be good at doing. I gained concrete research skills that’ll I’ll use in my honors thesis project on the lives of disabled college students and in my future career. I’ve also found a mentor in Dr. Lederer which is priceless. I would recommend this experience to anyone who is passionate about changemaking, wants to gain research skills to become a better social scientist, and desires a mentorship that will outlast the internship term. I’m incredibly grateful.
