Hackley Alum Offers ISRP Students Insight Into Benefits of Internships

The Independent Science Research Program (ISRP) had the honor of hosting former ISRP and Hackley alumnus Josh Saha ’20 as a guest speaker. During his talk, Josh highlighted how his experiences working in the Columbia University Plasma Physics Lab while at Hackley helped give him the tools and confidence to pursue scientific research during the summer while being a student at Caltech.

This past summer, Josh obtained a research internship with the Scripps Institute for Oceanography. The internship was not exactly what he originally had in mind, but it helped to steer him from an environmental sciences minor to potentially pursue marine biology as a minor.
 
One of our students remarked, “I thought that Josh’s comment on the significant differences between his two research experiences was very interesting and relevant. Even when your research might not turn out the way you expect it to, or is less focused on your interests, the experience itself can still be incredibly valuable. You can better define your likes and dislikes not just in topic, but also in the lab environment when it comes to selecting your next internship. This really helped me gain a less pressured perspective for an entirely successful research experience in the future.”
 
We want to thank Josh for taking the time to come speak with our students, and we wish him the best of luck as he pursues his physics major and marine biology minor! 

All alumni and families with present or past experiences in scientific research have a standing invitation to visit the Independent Research Program. Our future scientists love hearing your stories, and these talks are formative to their careers. If you are interested, please reach out to Dr. Andrew Ying at aying@hackleyschool.org.
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