Student Stories
“Dr. Banks/Carmen’s mentorship during my four-month internship was invaluable to my personal and professional development. Carmen's insight and constructive feedback contributed to my growth as a scientist. She actively encouraged my ideas, provided constructive feedback, and helped me set goals with a practical approach to achieve them. Her guidance fostered a collaborative and supportive learning environment, creating a space where I felt comfortable asking numerous questions and learning from my mistakes. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been mentored by Carmen and wholeheartedly recommend her for her kindness, effective communication, depth of knowledge, and supportiveness…”
— Sydney
“The MelanInScience STEM Connect program was the first experience that made me feel like the career I wanted was really in the cards for me. The things I learned and experienced made me for the first time feel like it was my path forward and gave me the confidence to walk it. I can’t overstate how valuable it was to be able to hear and be heard by the people in the places I want to be, talking about the things that make me excited.”
— Dewon
“Carmen has provided an immense amount of support in helping me craft my resume, enhancing my LinkedIn profile, and mastering networking strategies. She plays an active role in helping me apply to internships and her professional guidance plays a crucial role in preparing me for a successful career after college. I am very grateful for her expertise and dedication to my career development.”
— Hannah
“Having Carmen as my mentor has been wonderful! Her advice and support makes navigating college and career planning feel much less intimidating. She’s knowledgeable, outgoing, and offers a lot of great guidance through her own experience. I’m grateful that I get to work with her!”
— Denise