Seton Hall biochemistry majors have been gaining workplace experience by interning with household brand-named companies this summer.
Alison Arissa, a senior biochemistry major, is working with Colgate for the summer and said she plans to stay with the company long after the summer ends.
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Arissa found her internship during an application spree, where she was introduced to services such as Indeed.com and Navigator through SHU’s Career Center. Although she kept her options open, Colgate was a top choice from the start.
Arissa said that other biochemistry majors should spend a lot of time on research and that it will be a great asset when applying for internship positions. She added that having a great GPA is important, but when in an interview, it is valuable to have something more to tell the interviewer than just a high GPA.
Arissa has been mentored by many SHU professors and said she believes that she has found her passion for biochemistry.
“Seton Hall has really helped me throughout my years here,” Arissa said. “The community is close-knit, so it gives me the opportunity to get to know the professors and ask any questions that I have.”
Arissa said she plans to work at Colgate part-time during her senior year and then take advantage of the company’s program that allows her to work full time for a year and discover what field of the company she wants to pursue.
Jessica Aragona, a senior biochemistry major, plans to spend her summer with beauty company L’Oréal and has high hopes of continuing in the cosmetics field after graduation.
Aragona said she heard about the internship opportunity at L’Oréal when a Seton Hall alumna came to talk about her experience at an American Chemistry Society meeting.
Aragona plans to use her knowledge from her science courses and other lab experience during her internship this summer.
“For other SHU students, I would say to stay on top of deadlines when browsing career portals as well as trying to reach out to as many people as possible,” Aragona said. “Whether a faculty advisor, career advisor, SHU alum in the field, or the e-board members of clubs for that related field, networking is a very strong factor in securing internships and even jobs post-grad.”
Aragona said she hopes to pursue a career in cosmetic science and that this internship will give her background knowledge to make her stand out from other applicants.
Veronica Gaspa can be reached at veronica.gaspa@student.shu.edu.
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