Biology Graduate Completes Johns Hopkins Summer Internship

Destiny Gonzalez-Ortiz ’22 completed the Diversity Summer Internship Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She spent the month of July working in biochemistry and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health under the leadership of Dr. Vito Rebecca, assistant professor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department. “The best part of the internship was working in Dr. Rebecca’s  laboratory and meeting so many well-established people in research. It was amazing to hear about [their] efforts towards public health issues,” said Gonzalez-Ortiz, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Caldwell. She was thrilled to present her findings at Johns Hopkins University and at the Leadership Alliance Conference in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Gonzalez-Ortiz, the first in her family to earn a university degree, appreciated getting to know the other students in the cohort from around the country, who were “inspiring and intelligent young adults.We grew very close in our short time at Johns Hopkins University.”  She has not missed a beat in her career journey. The day after she finished her internship in Baltimore, she was on her way to Erie, Pennsylvania, to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to pursue a Master in Medical Science degree. “Learning is a very important part of my life and I am happy to have started my next adventure at LECOM.” And she is even looking out further, with her sights on attending LECOM medical school.  The Caldwell community  prepared and inspired her including the “amazing professors”  who she says truly care about the success of their students. “I will forever be grateful for my Caldwell community.”