Santa Maria -- A Central Coast Community College is looking for students to sign up now for a paid internship program. Allan Hancock students in the Bridges to Baccalaureate program can take advantage of Cal Poly's learn by doing science labs and get paid for their work.
Hancock student Anthony Gallegos says, "It feels great to know there is a whole world of mystery out there and that I get to be a part of it." Gallegos is just finishing up his summer experiments on python brains. His work is part of a larger study on how brains work. Gallegos says, "We get to spend our summer here in the research lab making money and learning and getting this invaluable experience."
Gallegos is one of 19 students in the Bridges program who work up to 30 hours a week for 12 dollars an hour during the summer. Dr. Christy Strand says, "The best thing about this program is it lets the students get hands on experience in a lab and have connections with the other students. It lets them get the work experience, what its like to do research, but also talk to other students about their career goals it opens up their world quite a bit."
Hancock is one of only 6 community colleges in the nation chosen to receive an 850-thousand dollar federal grant to fund the five-year program. The school is in the process of renewing the grant for five more years. The student interns not only get hands on lab experience, contributing to on going research projects, they also receive assistance in transferring to Cal Poly.
The program is meant to encourage minority students to pursue science careers, although anyone can and is encouraged to apply for the summer science internship. Students are advised to start the application process now for a paid summer science internship next summer.
