Hastings College sophomore Sam Acosta Castellanos stepped into his position as a quality and lab intern at Nova-Tech Inc. to help ensure the quality and safety of animal medicine the company makes. This real-world experience over the summer pushed him to grow as both a scientist and a person.
“I go into the lab and they teach me about pH and particles and how to monitor bacteria. We also do multiple tests to make sure that the product is safe. As a quality intern, I check papers and verify with workers that they are doing their job correctly and address errors that may have been made,” Castellanos said.
Castellanos, a physics and philosophy double major from Grand Island, Nebraska, said the internship taught him more about fields he is interested in and that it has helped him grow as a person.
“What I enjoy most is being able to push myself to be the best person I can be everyday. It’s also nice when my hard work gets recognized by coworkers,” said Castellanos, who is also a Scott Scholar. “Internships are like gateways to careers, so I think it’s important to give your best effort in your work because it allows you to learn and grow as a person.”
He said his work environment was very supportive and helped him when facing with challenges. He also found it rewarding when he received recognition for good work.
“I stress easily because I am a perfectionist. I’ve made some mistakes, but my peers and supervisors advised me that there is some room for error. So, it was hard adjusting to that work environment and learning how to interact with my coworkers,” Castellanos said.
Chemistry professor Dr. Neil Heckman recommended Castellanos for the internship, and Hastings College Career Services staff helped him apply for the position. He credits Hastings College to this opportunity and has embraced the support the community has given him.
“There’s actually people here that do care about you. The professors, the staff and really everybody here are willing to do their job to help students. There is a support system here that has really helped me not only with academics and career opportunities, but personal challenges, too,” Castellanos said.
He said a lot of people applied for the internship, so he didn’t believe he’d get it.
“Yet I did,” he said. “I think it’s because Hastings College taught me how to be professional during my interviews and in the workplace.”
He said many of the tasks he’s been handling incorporate a lot of knowledge from classes he has taken. He also utilized Career Services staff and Dave Rippe, director of the Scott Scholars program, to learn about professionalism in the workplace.
“It was really interesting because in chemistry class, we would learn about certain things that I thought I would never use. Now, in this internship, I am,” Castellanos said.
Castellanos said he enjoyed the time learning about different fields, experiencing new things and meeting different kinds of people — and that he’s found something he enjoys doing.
While Castellanos said he’s already started to look into PhD programs in order to become a physicist, he’s keeping his mind open to other opportunities and will continue to explore his options with the help of Hastings College.
“I found fulfillment in my work that I’ve been doing at this internship and in my classes. I feel as though I can follow my passion in a way that doesn’t drain me,” Castellanos said.