San Diego Job Corps graduate David Martinez, who will soon be graduating from Southwestern College, has been selected to attend a 10-week summer internship starting in June with the Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.  David was one of 19 students chosen by the faculty of the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell to join a team of senior research scientists, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to investigate current topics in plant science.

“I learned about the internship at Cornell through a classmate at Southwestern,” David advised.   “I’m studying biotechnology and plan on pursuing a career in this field. During the internship I will be working in a lab, taking part in weekly lunch seminars with scientists, attending career development workshops, a scientific ethics seminar, and a Summer Student Symposium.”

“What a great opportunity for David to study at an Ivy League University,” stated San Diego Job Corps Social Development Director Melina Williams, who coordinates Job Corps’ Advanced Career Training Program with Southwestern College.  “David has an outstanding academic record at both Job Corps and Southwestern and all of us are proud of him, and what he’s accomplished.”

The costs of David’s travel, meals and campus housing will be paid by Cornell, and he will also receive a stipend for his internship.  “I’ve lived in California all of my life,” David stated.  “So this is certainly a good opportunity to see other parts of the United States.  Cornell is a great university with a beautiful campus, and I’m excited about starting the internship.” 

David expressed his appreciation to Job Corps, Southwestern College, and Cornell University for the opportunities to advance in the field of science.  “Enrolling at Job Corps opened a lot of doors for me,” he advised.  “The Job Corps experience influenced me to make the decisions that are leading me to a successful future.”