“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
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.”
“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.”
“Listen to your heart and use your head. Math and science ignited my imagination for as far back as I can remember.”
Science Research
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.
Mathematics
Mathematics is essentially the study of patterns, and the understanding and application of these patterns is essential for the foundation of all other sciences. While mathematics is often studied in its own right, it is also applied to all manner of real world problems found in business, government, laboratories, medicine, engineering, and more.
“Medicine is about studying how life works, but the practice of medicine is also learning about life through other people. I have appreciated the opportunity to experience both this summer.”
Fulbright Program (rising seniors & graduates)
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.
Wellesley College Graduate Fellowships (WCGF—seniors & graduates)
Wellesley College offers a number of fellowships and scholarships for graduate study or research open to Wellesley seniors and graduates. Two awards are open to women graduates of any American institution (the Schimke and the Shackford). Awards are usually made to applicants currently enrolled in or applying to graduate/professional school for the following academic year; there is a single common application process for most of these awards, and the campus deadline is typically in January.
“For me, the Watson was not about a year-long adventure but about learning to see the possibilities available in the world and realizing that I am capable of pursuing any of them I want.”