Abigail Rothberg ’01, Mary Elvira Stevens Fellow (2019-2020)

At some point in 2018, I realized I had to stop thinking of my professional life and what brought me joy as two distinct parts of my life. I needed what I did professionally to reflect who I am: a person passionate about social justice, and also someone who is silly and loves to laugh, someone imperfect and impatient, someone who loves staring at art, and someone who literally loves getting her hands dirty.

“The Gates Cambridge is this incredible gift—an opportunity to pitch your scholarly passion project to a committee that's willing to fall as hard for your subject as you have, provided you can illustrate how your passion can translate beyond the classroom and into a better world for all.”

“I want to make ethics accessible to people. Whatever form it takes, I want to bring ethical inquiry into the everyday, and the Watson will ground me in that work.”

Learn About Careers in Life Sciences

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Wellesley Career Education

A career in the life sciences can include a broad range of companies, organizations, and foundations concerned with the study of living organisms, including biological sciences, botany, zoology, microbiology, physiology, biochemistry, and a number of related subjects. Employers may include biotechnology & pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations, foundations, and federal agencies. Most of the information on this page concerns non-patient facing options but there are opportunities to create career paths that merge patient and non-patient settings.

“I’m glad I decided to pursue Fulbright. It gave me an opportunity to share my unique experience as an immigrant and first-generation college student, not only with my Chinese colleagues, but also with other international students at Northwest University, who rarely meet Chinese Americans.“ 

“Crafting a proposal is a very introspective process. I was challenged to understand my motivations and interest in death and dying, then explain how those have informed my life’s course. From this, I gained a deeper sense of myself, academically and personally, which was rewarding in and of itself.”

“I previously had dreams to be an author, but found myself called by the combination of logic, mystery, and truth in science.”

Finance, Accounting, and Insurance

Casey Hurley
Casey Hurley

A career in Finance can mean many different things, depending on what type of work you’re interested in or what specific subsect you want to explore. Within Finance, you can work in the financial department of an organization (governmental, nonprofit or for-profit) or you can work at a company that provides financial services to individuals, groups, institutions and/or organizations.

“By living in vegan communities and exploring their foodscapes, I hope to understand the lived experiences of being vegan across cultures and find ways to adapt veganism to various cultural contexts and customs.”

“I grew up listening to public radio and I’ve always enjoyed stories, so I’m looking forward to learning about how storytelling and journalism function in a different continent.”

“I will be the first doctor in my family and the first to attend graduate school with the gift of the Sarah Perry Wood Medical Fellowship.”

“I’m excited to see how my beliefs will change, and how my project will evolve when my presumptions are questioned.”

“Being offered the Watson Fellowship is similar to someone tapping you on the shoulder, looking you straight in the eyes, and saying, ‘You've shown me a small glimpse of that which you love, and while I’m not here to answer the questions you have, I can give you the time and space to chase them until next year’s horizon.’”

“I am most excited about meeting and learning from people all over the world, and observing and hearing about their connections to land and food. Everybody needs food, but everyone's experiences and perspectives are different. I can't really imagine where this year will take me, but I know it will be transformative.”

Science Research

Alexis Trench
Alexis Trench

Participating in research experiences as an undergraduate is an excellent way to add depth to your science understanding and actively engage with what you are learning in the classroom. By doing so, you further develop your laboratory, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and you start to build your network with faculty members. Research experiences are valuable components to your resume, and they can make you more competitive for both graduate school and industry opportunities.

On-Campus Recruiting Program Policies (Students)

Kate Rettstadt
Kate Rettstadt

Career Education expects all students to abide by the following rules in order to maintain the success and integrity of Wellesley’s recruiting program.

Fulbright Program (rising seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Supports a year (or occasionally more) of study or research abroad in any discipline, or year-long English teaching assistantships (ETAs) abroad in programs designed by the host countries. Eligible are graduating seniors and graduates who are US citizens. Campus application deadline for Wellesley students and graduates typically in August, after an optional draft deadline in July.