Applied Learning: Summer Internships

A Conversation with Minerva Student Abdullah

Quick Facts

Name
Muhammad Abdullah Khan

Hometown
Pakistan

Class
2024

Intended Major & Concentrations
Computational Sciences — Data Science and Statistics

Conversation

When I joined Minerva, it was a step into the unknown. Yet, it came with the promise of an experience like no other, an inspiring ideology of active learning, and the possibility of being a global citizen at the end of the four years.

After my first year, I joined Minerva’s Outreach Team as an intern over the summer. That same summer, the team underwent staffing changes which would have scared some people at the start of their professional experience, but Minerva had shown me that facing challenges head-on was the best way of growing. I took this as an opportunity to have more creative freedom with my internship and, working under the guidance of the Global Director of Outreach, I worked on multiple projects for the team. For example, I contacted schools and spoke to potential applicants about the admission process and other aspects of Minerva, sharing my own experience. I enjoyed outreach so much that I ended up extending my period of work to continue over the next academic year as well as the next summer.

During my second summer, my coach from the Coaching and Talent Development (CTD) Team referred me for an internship offer as a bioinformatics intern at Metagenomi Inc. With his help, I aced my interviews and was offered the position for the summer.

As a bioinformatics intern, I was able to grow in the field of data science and statistics while gaining valuable experience working in a professional setting. My previous experience with outreach proved to be valuable as it enabled me to easily connect with my colleagues at work. Moreover, I developed leadership skills that allowed me to excel when I was assigned a project on my own.

Both of these summer experiences led me to grow in many different ways that I could not have imagined. While sometimes I felt like I might get overwhelmed, it was a unique chance to prepare myself for not only the academic challenges I would face over the coming academic years but also for unknown professional challenges later on in life. For example, I was able to implement the knowledge I learned in class in a real-world context, such as using the statistical tools I learned from my statistics class and programming skills gained from the computational sciences classes.

After going through these professional experiences, I feel ready to face the challenges that the new academic year brings. I am going to take some of the hardest courses that I have ever taken but these internships have taught me that venturing into the unknown can offer the sweetest rewards. I have come to realize that change is something that will be a constant in my life from now on.

Not only has Minerva helped me prepare myself for the challenges that come with having a summer internship but it has also helped me realize that growth is a constant process. While learning a skill is one thing, honing the skill is a long-term process done over time. Working in diverse summer internships has helped me see how Minerva’s educational approach prepares students to be successful professionally.

If you were inspired by Abdullah's story and are seeking a college experience that will teach you valuable pragmatic skills that will enable you to change the world, apply to join Minerva today.