Month: January 2019

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the 2018 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Vignesh Valliyur, COL ’20

This Summer, I worked as a legal intern at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Centre (LCAC), a non-profit organization that has provided legal representation to poor people charged with capital crimes in Louisiana for over twenty years. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity for it allowed me to develop an intimate understanding of the criminal justice system and play a role in combatting the death penalty nationwide.

After our arrival and introductory training, all the interns were assigned to case teams and were given duties. My tasks broadly fell under two categories – trial phase tasks and penalty phase tasks. A capital trial contains two phases. The first phase is the trial phase, during which the court will decide whether or not the defendant is guilty of the charges brought against them. And the second phase is the penalty phase, during which the court will determine the appropriate sentence to be delivered, should the jury return with a guilty verdict. All of my trial phase tasks, were aimed at preparing the client for trial. I scrutinized crime scene photos, evidence logs, crime lab reports, witness statements, social media information and more. I was also a part of all the team meetings and trial preparation discussions. During these sessions we went through all the evidence, and identified how each piece would impact the jury. All of my tasks pertaining to a potential penalty phase, were largely investigative in nature. The penalty phase is when attorneys are permitted to present mitigating evidence to show why the defendant should not receive the death penalty. In order to do so, the LCAC must go far beyond the immediate facts of the case. They must examine the lives of the defendant and their family for it is crucial to understand where they came from, what they have been through and the circumstances that shaped their lives. An investigation of a capital defendant’s life almost always reveals a history of trauma, and thus investigators are constantly on the lookout for signs of intellectual disability, mental illness, childhood trauma etc. For instance, in order to develop a robust understanding of a client’s intellectual disabilities, we go through the client’s educational records with a fine tooth comb. In order to document childhood abuse, we look through medical records and even absence from school and put together a timeline. While this investigative work can seem dull, the results may convince a jury to spare a defendant’s life. In this capacity, I went through a variety of documents and records, to piece together several elements of the client’s life. I requested records from different organizations that our clients interacted with, collected legal records from various courthouses throughout Louisiana and spoke in person with one of our clients. In addition to case related duties, I conducted some research on the Louisiana Board of Pardons and presented my findings to the office.

My time at the LCAC was a learning experience like no other for it exposed me to the nature of indigent defense, death penalty research, trial practices and much more. Furthermore, it truly galvanized my interest in criminal law and has made me seriously consider pursuing a career in criminal defense.

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the 2018 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Angelia Kumirai, COL ’21

My summer was punctuated by milestones of personal achievement and growths. I travelled more than 4000 miles by road, I met people who I had not seen in ages but most of all- I advanced my knowledge and skills in the advanced bio-nanotechnological field.

Before I came to Penn, I wrote my common application essay on the impact that I wanted to make in the pharmacological field- using nanotechnology for more targeted dug delivery. I wrote that I would use the Penn education to advance my knowledge of nanotechnology, pharmacology and economics. So, you can just imagine the opportune enjoyment I had to be spending my freshman summer in the Dmochowski lab- a lab that specializes in the encapsulation of nanoparticles in protein cavities!

Funding from career services proved that for sure- Penn would help me aspire my dreams and take me a step closer towards what my aspirations are.

After two weeks in Zimbabwe, I flew back to Philadelphia to start research in the Chemistry department at Penn. I worked with an amazing graduate student- Josh, who introduced me to all the techniques that were essential to my time in the lab. We reported to Professor Dmochowski weekly, who mentored my progress and pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits.

This was a fulfilling position and learning experience because the lab work resonated so much with my career interests. I want to be a pharmacologist who develops nanomedicines for more efficient and accessible delivery. In the lab, we were researching on the best practices of encapsulating cargo into protein cavities. The materials that we had success loading into the protein cages were supercharged green fluorescent protein and gold nanoparticles.

We also collaborated with researchers from the medical school who grew antibodies around the gold nanoparticles and tried encapsulating them with protein cages. Manipulation of these developments in nanotechnology will lead to more efficient drug delivery, effective bio-targeting, proficient catalysis, milestones in nanoelectronics and many other applications in energy and cancer research. I felt so honored to be assisting in such useful and practical work that would advance helpful technology to the world.

I came into the lab wanting to increase my proficiency in essential lab techniques as well as to broaden my exposure and deepen my expertise in many common biochemical and biophysical methods. However, I got more from this experience. I developed a deep appreciation of chemistry research. This experience opened and captivated my mind in a way that has propelled me from a freshman with a dream to a sophomore with a clear vision of the path that she wants to take in her career.

I am deeply appreciative of the funding that I received from Career Services because without the funding, this would not have been possible.

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the 2018 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Brianna Raposo, COL ’19

Going into my junior year at Penn, I still wasn’t sure what I was looking to do after I graduated. I knew what my interests were and I knew what paths were available but I wasn’t convinced on which one was right for me. As a Health & Societies major, I’ve focused my time and efforts on the discipline of public health and have kept up my political work through my choice in extracurriculars. I wasn’t sure how I would meld my two passions together in a way that would be challenging, enthralling, and helpful.

When I decided to apply for politically-oriented internships on Capitol Hill, I knew that I was crossing into new territory. I’d never worked in public service before and was unfamiliar with the professional landscape of Washington D.C. All of that changed when I began my internship with the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who represents my home state of Massachusetts.

Focused on constituent services, the internship allowed me to better understand the needs and concerns of Massachusetts residents better than ever before. Having lived in Massachusetts from birth, I was aware of some of the issues that hit home for its residents, however, through my experience in the Senate, I could see how shifting political landscapes influenced their immediate concerns.

I worked on a team of passionate, kind, and eager staffers who were always willing to give advice and discuss their diverse career experiences with interns. Based on my interest in health care policy, I was tasked with attending related briefings, hearings, and Hill events and conducting research on this legislation. Through my time in the Senate, I was able to learn first hand how the legislative process works and how all of the moving parts interact with each other in order to create and pass laws. Combined with the knowledge I gained on the American health care system, this was invaluable to my experience as a student interested in health care and related policy issues. This internship opened new doors for me as I now realize that a career in public service is within reach.

I am currently applying to Masters of Public Health programs which would allow me to focus on Health Policy and Management to further my work in health care policy. My time on the Hill was filled with opportunities to learn from experienced professionals, many of whom started off in very different places, strengthen my network of political-oriented peers, and gain invaluable experience working for a U.S. Senator.

This internship was everything I wanted and more. I am grateful for the support of Career Services through this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I cannot wait to return to the Hill and continuing to fight for fair and equitable health care policies.