When thinking about summer, many people imagine the pleasant feeling of the summer heat on one’s skin and a cool smoothie in one hand. Most think of summer as a calm and rejuvenating three months where the only issue is running out of sunblock. This is not the case for a number of Berkeley students who chose to embark on a journey to experience the world and pique new interests. The students spent a portion of their long-awaited summer months doing a myriad of unique activities to explore their interests ranging from distinctive internships and research amongst professors to summer musicals and international service.

With a love for science and passion for learning, Senior Ryan Franzese worked at the USF Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Lab. Working under the guidance of Dr. Cesario Borlongan, Director of Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair and Professor at the College of Medicine Neurosurgery at USF, Franzese participated in a number of complex dissections including rat brains and spleens. A large chunk of his time was also spent writing a soon to be published medical hypothesis paper alongside two pre-med students.

Another of Berkeley’s seniors, Nate Watson, also participated in a summer-long internship at the University of South Florida Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Lab focusing in Traumatic Brain Injuries. During this rigorous internship, Watson did a significant amount of work writing scientific papers. By the end of his internship, one of his papers was published in a major stem cell therapy journal called “Cytotherapy” and has another pending submission in a journal called “Brain Research Bulletin.”

While some chose to spend their summer locally, Rachel Weinbren ’15 chose something different.  Weinbren, recipient of Berkeley’s 50th Anniversary Service Scholar Award and founder of organization Warming the World, took her non-profit to Norway.  Along with her suitcase, Weinbren brought with her 75 hand knitted baby caps that she delivered to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Tromsø, Norway.

Weinbren was not the only senior who spent her summer abroad. While some stayed within the country borders to conduct research, Senior Aida Wolf traveled to the Karolinska Institute Summer Research Program in Stockholm, Sweden where she participated in a variety of lab activities including culturing cells and conducting lab tests. Not only did she gain knowledge about a field that she is fascinated with, but she also learned a number of other skills that will be just as important to her future, “I have become a lot more disciplined and am able to stay focused.”

Three more of Berkeley’s numerous senior scientists, Seniors Natalie Raterman, Alexa Cordell, and Vasilis Vasiloudis, did not spend their summer recovering from the numerous hours they spent studying for AP Biology.  Instead, they delved right back into the subject. The three attended the Rosetta Institute Intro into Molecular Biology of Cancer at the University of California, Berkeley. These students spent two weeks at this renowned research institute studying the vast and complex topic of cancer and experimenting with the field’s most cutting edge researchers. When asked about the impact of the program, Raterman said, “It gave me a different perspective into science. Ever since I came back, I have been looking at different science articles. I am able to apply what I learned in my day to day life.” The program concluded with the students completing a presentation on a cancer inducing gene or protein and its cures. Cordell and Raterman joined forces and were able to get second place on their presentation. “It was awesome!” Raterman exclaims.

Junior Jack Goldfield also spent his summer learning about a field that he is interested in. Goldfield attended the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship at Lehigh University. The program’s website describes the international program’s purpose as exposing students to the topic of entrepreneurship, globalization, and leadership while working in a culturally diverse environment and igniting the students’ spirit of creativity, innovation and learning. “It was awesome being there with people from all over the world. I really liked the program because it allowed me to learn more about how to be a good entrepreneur, something that I am interested in for the future,” Goldfield said.

Seeking the joy of being on stage, Juniors Madeline Katsarelis and Julia Peacock and Senior Larry Glanton spent their summer enhancing and exploring their passion for theater by taking part in the musical “Pippin” at Corbett Prep of IDS. With long and tiring, yet exciting and eventful rehearsals over the course of only four days, these Berkeley students had very busy days with preparations and rehearsals for the show. According to Katsarelis, “the musical [was a] challenging but rewarding experience in which we learned a lot.”

While Junior Paige Weiss did not spend her time her time singing on stage or engaging in complex dissections, she did have a summer experience that one could only hope for.  Weiss had an unanticipated yet exhilarating summer experience in Israel. Her experience at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel helped her learn more about and appreciate her culture. Weiss explained “I wanted to expand my knowledge on Jewish history. I wanted to fully understand who I was and where I came from.” Her experience allowed her to embrace her culture and religion amidst the political crisis in the background. “Because I was there during the war, I feel that I have a stronger love for my heritage and religion. I feel proud of my Jewish background.”