Intern of the Month | Angel Boardley ’24

There were a few reasons. Most importantly, I wanted to go to a school that was academically strong in the science disciplines. When I researched Hood, I looked at its proximity to biotech, pharmaceutical and biomedical companies. I learned about Hood’s proximity to Fort Detrick, the I-270 Biotech Corridor and our partnership with Leidos, a biomedical research and information technology company. As a pre-medical student, I also researched the school’s proximity to medical facilities for possible clinical experiences, and I learned that we share a parking lot with Frederick Health Hospital. Because of these strong connections with the sciences and medical industries, I knew that if I worked hard I would be successful in this environment and would be able to find an internship/job quickly within my industry.

As a first-generation transfer student, I knew that I wanted to attend a small college with small class sizes, so I could receive extra help if needed. I also wanted to go to a school where I could be a part of an equestrian team because I have been riding on and off since the age of 5 and have been a part of a few teams, and I wanted to have the chance to pursue this in my college years. My favorite aspects of Hood college are the beautiful environment and atmosphere, the friendly students and faculty, and of course, the equestrian team.

It is important to note that I am a slightly older, nontraditional and first-generation student. I knew in middle school that I wanted to be a medical doctor, and in high school, I began to understand that I also wanted to be a scientist. Before attending Hood College, I trained in a biotechnology academy for two years in Howard County with the Applied Research Laboratory in partnership with a local community college. In my last year of the program, starting at the age of 17, I interned at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Neuroscience Research Department as well at the University of Baltimore County (UMBC) in the Biochemistry Department. It was definitely a challenge to work on and contribute to two major research projects at the same time, but it was well worth it and trained me very well for my career in biotechnical and biomedical industries. Considering these experiences, I knew that I was going to study some sort of biological science in college.

My internship at KamTek, Inc., here in Frederick, Maryland, has been an amazing experience. The goal of this internship is to learn how to run and manage a Biorepository Biotech Company. So far, we have primarily been working on operations and management, such as learning how to use project management software, write and send business reports, inventory tracking, regulatory maintenance reporting and how to perform complex laboratory procedures like lymphocyte cell separation. I have been able to apply much of my experiences to almost all of my classes in many different ways.

It feels unimaginable, to say the least. If someone told me two months ago that I would have received this recognition, I would not have believed them. It has been amazing to see how far I have come since joining Hood in fall 2022, but even more so since I graduated high school in 2017. My educational journey has not been easy by any means. When I was only 19, I moved out of my childhood home with no idea of where I was going and only $30 in my bank account. Fortunately, I was able to live with one of my nanny clients at the time until I could get on my feet. Because of this financial and housing instability, I had to take a break from college. During my initial break, I grew my business and profits and went back to school while also moving into my first apartment. Even though I was in a better position housing-wise and financially, it was still hard because of work and school scheduling conflicts and dealing with the stress of having all the bills on me without any help.

Things were good for a while until 2019, when my oldest brother passed away—he was one of my only family supporters at the time. His passing was so incredibly hard on me that I dropped out of school again. I went back, but sometime during the pandemic, I didn’t have any business coming in and was at risk of losing my housing while in school, and yet again, I had to stop. There were so many days that I thought I would never be able to make it through school or graduation. But now I am at Hood, where the support and opportunities have been amazing. I have gone so far in the short time that I have been here. This recognition means the world to me. It gives me recognition for my current efforts in biotech management, of course, but also for all the hard work that I have put into getting to this point in my life now. It is such a surreal experience becoming one of the women that I could only wish to be in the books that I grew up reading as a little girl.

I would say that with a biology degree, there are so many avenues that you can take; do not feel confined to a box. You can work at a lab bench, a hospital, in environmental research, in business management and so much more. The best thing for yourself is to try learning more specialized skills within the field like in biotechnology or pharmaceutical science. You could do this through specialized classes at Hood or other educational institutions (Montgomery, Frederick and Howard Community Colleges have some amazing opportunities for people trying to work in STEM fields but even more specifically in companies in the I-270 Biotech corridor) and in internship opportunities as well. Also, be open-minded about internship opportunities and class selections. If you are too narrow-minded or single-tracked, you are more likely to miss amazing opportunities out there.

My plan after graduation is to finish out my master’s in the biomedical science program here at Hood College while working full time within the biotech/biomedical industry. It is possible that I may be pursuing another master’s alongside the BMS degree. After I finish my master’s program(s), I plan to pursue medical school to fulfill my dreams of becoming a surgical physician.

Learn more about the 4PLUS biology/biomedical science program.