Entry Point!

We recently received a short report from Gabe, a student we placed at CalTech for the summer, who writes that:

“The past 10 weeks have given me a chance to immerse myself in fulltime scientific research as I have built our experimental devices, helped to conduct our experiments, processed, and finally analyzed our data. I have deeply enjoyed the experience of working everyday on research that has major clinical relevance (even the 16 hour days running our experiments). In addition to affirming my interest in pursuing a graduate degree in the field of bioengineering, spending time in such an intensely focused environment has allowed me to build invaluable scientific skills and experiences.”

He adds that his participation would not have been possible without Entry Point, which was:

“…crucial both in helping me find the program, and more importantly in enabling me and the program coordinators to understand that students with disabilities can and should be included in programs aimed at increasing diversity in science.”

Like many of our interns, Gabe particularly appreciated the role Entry Point! played in working directly with the staff at CalTech who ran the research project:

“Having an advocate for students with disabilities is incredibly important as our disabilities are varied, complex, and often stigmatized. Entry Point! helps bridge the gap between traditional diversity programs which often make little mention of students with disabilities, and the students who often do not see themselves as eligible. Entry Point! opened incredible opportunities for me, and I hope it will continue to do so for future generations of students with disabilities.”

We hope you will continue to support Entry Point!, and help young students with disabilities realize their potential to excel in science and engineering careers.