Author Archives: Nicole Veilleux

Internship Highlight: Megan Job ’21, Assistant Researcher at William Montague Cobb Research Laboratory

Megan Job is on the far left.

Major: Neuroscience

Assistant Researcher at the William Montague Cobb Research Laboratory

“I think it is very important to introduce diversity in the various databases on the human genome. Many of the original genome projects centered on European-descended populations and this project is one of the first steps to unlocking questions like “Why are Black women 243% more likely to die in childbirth (compared to White women”? Or “Why are African Americans prone to hypertension, diabetes, etc.?”

How did you find your internship? Dr. Jeremy Ward.

What was your work like? One of the main projects I worked on was Petrous Bone Extraction of the bones in the William Cobb Collection. William Montague Cobb was the first African American to get an MD/PhD and went on to found a lab. He studied over 100 African Americans who died between the 1930s and 1960s and conducted autopsies on each of the individuals. My research included extracting over 200 petrous bones–a dense region on the side of the skull next to the ear canal–in order to sequence the DNA of the individuals who passed. After extracting the petrous bone, we found susceptibility genes for the diseases the individuals died from. Among the diseases were tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and more. A lot of the diseases are still the main cause of death of Blacks today. After the DNA is sequenced, we cross matched their genes with the susceptibility genes to see if there were matches. In the future, we will be able to address the weaknesses that may or may not have to do with our genetic codes. Ideally, we will be able to have prenatal testing where we identify these genes and advocate a healthy lifestyle that will suppress the likelihood of these diseases manifesting and taking the lives of our people.

How did CCI help you find this opportunity? Funding, advising, moral support, EVERYTHING!

What advice do you have for Middlebury students looking for an internship? Think outside the box! Don’t think that the organized programs are the only internships you have available to you…there are countless others you can make up or find anywhere.

What was the most rewarding aspect of your work? Being surrounded by black scholars.

And to add to this question from Megan’s interview in the Cobb’s Corner News: Seeing people in positions of power in STEM that are Black is what I will cherish the most. Carter [Clinton, Assistant Curator] is a great example as well, with both of us being from Brooklyn. I’m reading a book by Elaine Welteroth called More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) where she mentions that it is “important to leave signposts along the journey of success for those that come behind you.” I believe there will be another young girl like me who is obsessed with science like me but needs a role model to show her that women and people of color can succeed. I really want to be that guiding light just like this experience has illuminated my journey.

Did you have a mentor that helped you get to where you are today? If so, who? Jeremy Ward, Susan DeSimone, and much much much more.

You can read more about Megan’s internship in the Middlebury Newsroom and this WUSA9 news story.

Interested in getting help with summer internships? Come meet with one of the Peer Career Advisors (go/pcas) to learn more about how to search for internships, and how to apply for funding.

Are YOU interested in being in the Internship Highlights? Tell us about your internship experience here.

Win a $500 Flight Gift Card with CCI’s Tell Your Story Campaign!

The Center for Careers and Internships is having a second annual Tell Your Story Campaign that culminates in a drawing for a $500 flight gift card!

All you have to do to enter is complete your Handshake profile and have your résumé reviewed and approved by a CCI Peer Career Advisor (PCA) – (go/PCAs for their drop in hours) to have your résumé reviewed. The earlier you complete your profile and have an approved résumé, the more chances you will have to win!

To be entered to win, login to Handshake and complete these steps:

  1. Upload your approved résumé to Handshake.
  2. Add at least one Work Experience (volunteer experience counts!)
  3. Add at least one Extracurricular Activity (high school activities are OK!)
  4. Add at least one skill.
  5. Complete all questions on the “Career Interests” page (click on YourName>Career Interests)

Our first drawing is on Tuesday, February 11th, so don’t wait too long!

Drawings will be held every TUESDAY from 2/11- 3/24. There will be 6 $20 Middlebury Money gift cards and the Grand Prize is the $500 flight gift card.

Need help creating your first résumé? Our PCAs are here to help.

Create Your First College Résumé Workshops will be hosted on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, January 21 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Tuesday, January 21 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Tuesday, January 21 – Résumé Crash Course for First-Years – 7:30-8:30 p.m. in Battell Basement
  • Monday, January 27 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 27 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 28 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 28 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House

Need help creating your first résumé? Don’t worry! Our PCAs are here to help.

Writing your first college résumé may seem daunting, but CCI’s Peer Career Advisors (PCAs) make the process easy!

Learn how to turn the experience you gained through academic, extracurricular, community engagement, work, and other experience into a strong Middlebury résumé.

Your résumé will help you to:

  • apply for on-campus jobs and other opportunities;
  • apply for internships;
  • apply for summer internship funding;
  • and more!

*NOTE* If you have one, please bring a copy of your most recent résumé and your laptop. If you don’t already have a draft, don’t worry! Simply bring a list of your high school and college experiences (extracurricular, academic, volunteer, work, etc.).

Create Your First College Résumé Workshops will be hosted on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, January 21 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Tuesday, January 21 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Tuesday, January 21 – Résumé Crash Course for First-Years – 7:30-8:30 p.m. in Battell Basement
  • Monday, January 27 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 27 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 28 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. in the ADK House
  • Monday, January 28 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the ADK House

Once your résumé is complete and approved, AND you complete your Handshake profile, you can be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Flight Gift Card with CCI’s Tell Your Story Campaign! Learn more here.

Alumni Highlight: Canary Ly ’17, RN working toward her DNP!

Career Update with Canary Ly ’17

Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Secondary Education Studies

Tell us about life after Middlebury. After Middlebury, I worked for a year as a Medical Assistant at a gynecology office in Vermont while taking prerequisite courses for graduate school. I was accepted to a few schools and chose UMass Medical School, Graduate School of Nursing to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), in which I am currently a second year student. The program includes an accelerated year of studies after which I was eligible to receive my Registered Nurse license. Upon passing my board exams, I started working part time at a community health center and per diem at a local hospital, both of which I balance with school. Only 2.5 more years for the doctorate!

Where are you working? I currently work as a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2 locations: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and UMass Memorial Medical Center Marlborough Hospital.

How did you find your job(s)? Networking! When I initially moved to Shrewsbury, MA, I put my name out as a babysitter on a Facebook community forum, and started sitting for a few doctors in town. Once I passed my boards, they were able to put in a good word for me at the hospital.

How did CCI help you find this opportunity? When I was at Middlebury I worked as a Front Office Assistant at CCI. After working with such a great group of people there, I saw the benefits of branching out and not being afraid to ask for help. It never hurts to ask!

What advice do you have for Middlebury students looking for an internship? Push yourself to do the most you can. Network, be yourself, and never forget that you have a great community of resources at your fingertips. You just have to use them!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work? The most rewarding part of working two different jobs is that I get to see the best of both worlds: seeing families and getting to work with kids in the outpatient setting, and then being a part of the treatment team and caring for sick adults in the inpatient setting!

What do you wish you knew before interning that you would like to share with Middlebury students? Don’t doubt your ability to learn on the job–it’s not always about knowing everything in the books! Also, no question is a dumb question.

If you want to network, you can connect with Canary via Midd2Midd!

Are YOU interested in being in the Alumni Highlights? Tell us about your post-Middlebury experience here.

Internship Highlight: Nicky Johnson ’22, Legal Intern at United States Attorneys’ Office

Major: English and American Literature
Minor: Math and History

Legal Intern with the United States Attorneys’ Office in Boston, MA

“This past summer I had the opportunity to live in Boston and work at the United States Attorneys’ Office as a legal intern. During my time there, I was able to assist on many hot button cases in the Major Crimes and Civil Rights Units, conducting investigative research for the attorneys I worked under. I was able to hone my researching skills through the analysis of confidential evidence and government databases and by the end of the summer, was selected to do field research for the Civil Rights Unit. In addition to the valuable professional experience gained, I was also able to enjoy summer in the Seaport of Boston and explore all of the cool places and fun events that the city had to offer. “

How did you find your internship? I did some digging online and found the right person to email and the rest is history!

How did CCI help you find this opportunity? CCI was integral in my acceptance of this opportunity. As a native of New Jersey, I knew that I was going to need to have a pretty thought out budget that would allow me to have housing, transportation, and necessities in a completely different state many miles away. Through the funding process, the CCI requires you to write up a budget and think about all of the possible expenditures you would make in a summer. With a budget already complete, my summer felt a lot more structured and possible. Additionally, my internship was unpaid, so upon receiving the First Year Explore Grant from the CCI, I also felt that I would be able to enjoy my time in Boston instead of being stressed about my budget the whole summer.

What advice do you have for Middlebury students looking for an internship? I would say reach out to anyone and everyone. If you are interested in working in a particular place, all it takes is one email to create an opportunity that you might not have otherwise thought possible.

What was the most rewarding aspect of your work? The people I met this summer were what truly made my experience. I loved working with other college students from different institutions and getting to know who they are and how their college experience is similar or different to mine. I also happened to make one friend who I became really close with and spent a majority of my time off of work with (I will be visiting her at UMich and will be seeing her in Boston over winter break!). I also really appreciated the bonds that my mentors and I created. They really took the time to get to know me and even bring in my favorite food on several occasions. I am still in contact with them and hope to continue and expand my network through them as I continue down that particular career path.

What do you wish you knew before interning that you would like to share with Middlebury students? Don’t be nervous! Well… it’s hard to not be nervous at all, but try to remind yourself that you deserve to be there just like everyone else who is interning there. You made it through the interview process and they chose you, so be proud and arrive with confidence rather than timidity.

Interested in getting help with summer internships? Come meet with one of the Peer Career Advisors (go/pcas) to learn more about how to search for internships, and how to apply for funding.

Are YOU interested in being in the Internship Highlights? Tell us about your internship experience here.

MiddCORE Round One Application Deadline 11/17!

MiddCORE is a four-week, mentor-powered innovation experience for undergraduates who desire to launch their education and passions into the world at large.

At MiddCORE, students are challenged to find solutions to real-world problems alongside mentors from the areas of business, government, and non-profits—these mentors not only guide students but become part of their lifelong network. 

MiddCORE is May 30–June 27, 2020 in Monterey, California. Take a look at the MiddCORE brochure.

APPLY EARLY AND SAVE

Round One Application due November 17—save $500

Sign up for One-on-One Chats with Alumni at the Athletics Field Guide

Sign up for a one-to-one chat with alumni who will be on campus 11/14-11/15 for the Athletics Field Guide and will be available for one-to-one meetings on Friday, 11/15 from 9:00-noon here at CCI.

Sign up for a one-on-one chat with Christine in Handshake.

After graduating from Middlebury, Christine Bolger Bright ’07 spent 7 years in Boston working for two sports based youth development non-profit organizations, America SCORES Boston and Metrolacrosse. She also got her MBA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

A move to Maine had her working for a feminist/activist organization called Hardy Girls Healthy Women and assistant coaching for the Colby College Womens Soccer team and trying her hand as head coach of the Waterville Girls High School soccer team.

Since her time in Maine, Christine has been working for We Coach as a National Trainer- helping new and experienced coaches incorporate youth development practices into their coaching style and showing them the importance of brain development and impact of trauma on the young people they work with. In addition, she has founded Bright Contributions, a consulting practice that helps non-profits untangle the world of measurement and evaluation. She met her husband on the Midd Track and Field team and they live in Rochester, Minnesota with their two little boys and dog.

Sign up for a one-on-one chat with Erick in Handshake.

Erick Dalton ’04 is currently a professional scout with the Philadelphia Phillies, Erick is responsible for scouting numerous professional teams at various levels. He also helps with scouting assignments at spring training, trade deadline and playoff advance. Before joining the Phillies in the fall of 2017, Erick had been with the Washington Nationals since 2007. He has worked in baseball operations with his main focus being advance scouting.

Jim has led the Global Baseball and Softball Business for Wilson since 1997. In that time, Wilson has grown into the world leader in equipment with #1 overall market share in bats and ball gloves. Jim led the purchase of Louisville Slugger, DeMarini, Evoshield and ATEC -all leading brands that are now incorporated into Wilson.

Sign up for a one-on-one chat with James in Handshake.

James “Jim” Hackett ’89 began his Wilson career as an intern while he was earning his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management (MM ’95). Jim worked for Nike from 1990 to 1993 -managing and opening stores in various locations around the U.S., and ultimately training managers and employees in Nike’s factory outlets and Niketown stores. During Jim’s Middlebury career he played Football and Baseball -captaining each team in his senior year. Jim lives with his wife and 3 children in Glenview, Illinois.

Sign up for a one-on-one chat with Scott in Handshake.

Scott Langerman ’87 is Chief Executive Officer of Athlete Content & Entertainment, LLC (ACE Media), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). ACE Media was launched in September, 2015 as a groundbreaking new vehicle through which to identify and develop a range of content opportunities for professional athletes. Since its launch ACE has placed over 1000 athletes in close to 1500 different content initiatives, and its successes to date include Catching Kelce on E!, Most Valuable Performer on CBS, Ritual on Amazon Prime Video, NFL Life: Kirk Cousins on NFL Network and Behind Baker on Fox. In addition to the above, ACE has developed and produced a wide a range of digital and branded content features for a number of the world’s leading distribution platforms.

As CEO of ACE, Scott is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, and oversees its relationships with production entities, distribution platforms, brands and athletes. A 20-year veteran of the sports and entertainment industries, Scott previously held senior executive positions with Vox Media, Comcast and Turner Broadcasting, among others.

Throughout his career Scott has been involved in a range of civic and charitable activities, serving on the boards of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, the Military Bowl and the Chesapeake Bayhawks, co-founding an annual gala to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation currently in its 15th year, and chairing several local events and organizations in his community.

Scott holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and a J.D. from Yale Law School, and lives in Bethesda, MD with his wife Vicki and their three children.

Learn more about the Athletics Field Guide events at go/AthleticsFieldGuide.

RSVP for the Career Panel and Dinner at 5:00 PM on Thursday, 11/14 in Atwater Dining Hall.