Hi, my name is Rose. I am a PhD student here at Cornell University in the biomedical engineering program and I'm also an EntryPoint! alum.

EntryPoint! is a program through the American Association for the Advancement of Science for students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

I first heard about EntryPoint! through my undergraduate university student accessibility services, but I was a little apprehensive about applying at first. I didn't see my disability as a factor in how my academics were going, it wasn't a big issue for me and I was I was afraid that I wasn't fitting into that standard. But I realized that there isn't really a standard for disabilities, and this program is really meant for everyone.

My EntryPoint! internship was at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I studied lung physiology.

Through the EntryPoint! program, I was able to get this internship, which led to a lot of other opportunities including a speech at the American Thoracic Society in 2016 and it also led to my second internship, also at Mayo Clinic, in the Division of Engineering as an electrical engineer.

EntryPoint! had a great role in my life. It really encouraged me to go into the workforce, see what it was all about and then it also encouraged me to look into other careers like graduate school. It played a huge role in both my desire and my ability to attend graduate school, and that's where I am now.