Thread: Does anyone have any ideas?

Hi there, right now I am a junior in high school and I would like to have some sort of involvement in science before I apply for college so that I may increase my chances toward getting into the college when I put it on my application. The career I want will be in biotechnology but I have no idea what I can do that is related to this science. I could maybe do an experiment where I would be working off a $1000 dollar budget which I know is not much and through this I could possibly get some notice for it, but that is some very wishful thinking. I live in Prescott Arizona and it is not exactly a big place so I wouldn't know where I could possibly go to volunteer to do something around this that could help me out for this. My high school has no clubs related to science, bit crummy really. If any of you have any ideas on what I should do I would appreciate it if you helped me out.

I apologize in advance if I am putting this in the wrong section, it seemed right since biotech is related to biology.

On the volunteer side you could maybe look at the following places:

Prescott College
Yavapai College
Yavapai Regional Medical Center
Bradshaw Mountain Diagnostic Laboratory
BioVeteria Life Sciences


I live thousands of miles from Arizona, so I apologise if these places are way out of reach - they look close on the map

Hi Deewreck I'm not quite sure if this is something you had in mind but I did remember reading about a biotech company a while back that were involved in genome mapping. You have a $1000 and looking for a project to get you noticed well, if memory serves they actually offered a partial genome mapping service for $999 just the (exome). Perhaps however you could write to this company and see if you could use their service but also being involved in the project and do some the work yourself, certainly conducting such a high level work and on a productive project would likely get you some good PR.

The company was called: 23andMe

Anyway the best of luck with your project!

Originally Posted by Ascended

Hi Deewreck I'm not quite sure if this is something you had in mind but I did remember reading about a biotech company a while back that were involved in genome mapping. You have a $1000 and looking for a project to get you noticed well, if memory serves they actually offered a partial genome mapping service for $999 just the (exome). Perhaps however you could write to this company and see if you could use their service but also being involved in the project and do some the work yourself, certainly conducting such a high level work and on a productive project would likely get you some good PR.

The company was called: 23andMe

Anyway the best of luck with your project!

Thank you so much!!! It's crazy but it turns out they have lowered the price of that to $99. It says on wikipedia "In 2012, 23andMe raised $50 million in a Series D venture round, almost doubling its existing financing of $52.6 million. This enabled the company to further reduce the price of its product, which was originally priced at $999, from $299 to $99 in an effort to increase its customer base from 180,000 to one million." This is pretty neat considering, hopefully I will still be able to get involved with them and that won't hurt my chances.

Originally Posted by Zwirko

On the volunteer side you could maybe look at the following places:

Prescott College
Yavapai College
Yavapai Regional Medical Center
Bradshaw Mountain Diagnostic Laboratory
BioVeteria Life Sciences


I live thousands of miles from Arizona, so I apologise if these places are way out of reach - they look close on the map

Yeah these places are pretty close to me, didn't know that colleges would let me volunteer there. Maybe I can find a place that will let me around here. Thank you!

Hi Deewreck, I don't have anything really concrete for you, but here are some thoughts.

Are there any biotech companies in Phoenix? Could you write to them, telling them of your interest and asking them for advice. You may get zero response, or you may find they have a program of encouraging young people to get engaged with biotech. Also, write to the biology departments of universities/colleges you think you might wish to apply for and ask them for suggestions. That way, even without spending $1,000, you would have distinguished yourself from the majority of students who would later apply for admission.

On a completely different note, I had a look at Google maps to see where Prescott was precisely. Neat coincidence - I've been there. After a business meeting in Phoenix in '95 or '96 I took a few days to drive around Arizona. With the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff and Meteor Crater dealt with I visited the Jerome "ghost town" with the mining museum. Then along an old trail, which in part I think had been a railway line, and got to the Chino Valley (where I had an excellent hamburger in fries by a roadside bar), then down through Prescott.

Anyway, good luck with your ambitions.

Originally Posted by Deewreck

I live in Prescott Arizona and it is not exactly a big place so I wouldn't know where I could possibly go to volunteer to do something around this that could help me out for this. My high school has no clubs related to science, bit crummy really. If any of you have any ideas on what I should do I would appreciate it if you helped me out.

I apologize in advance if I am putting this in the wrong section, it seemed right since biotech is related to biology.

Ah, but what a beautiful place! Try Coconino Community College, ask for MIKE OPPPER, try ext. 4266. He is the senior advisor there, privy to most all offerings within the State of Arizona. BTW, the plaque carrying the "Roughriders" inscription in front of the County Courthouse in Prescott carries the name of "Wiggins" who rode with Teddy Roosevelt. I worked with his grandson.

Originally Posted by John Galt

Are there any biotech companies in Phoenix? Could you write to them, telling them of your interest and asking them for advice. You may get zero response, or you may find they have a program of encouraging young people to get engaged with biotech. Also, write to the biology departments of universities/colleges you think you might wish to apply for and ask them for suggestions. That way, even without spending $1,000, you would have distinguished yourself from the majority of students who would later apply for admission.


Anyway, good luck with your ambitions.

Phoenix has in the past several decades become the "new" Los Angeles. Where previously, unobtainable materials in Phoenix were invariably gotten from L.A., today, ANYTHING may be found in PHX. I know this because I was there 20 years. joc

Originally Posted by John Galt

Hi Deewreck, I don't have anything really concrete for you, but here are some thoughts.

Are there any biotech companies in Phoenix? Could you write to them, telling them of your interest and asking them for advice. You may get zero response, or you may find they have a program of encouraging young people to get engaged with biotech. Also, write to the biology departments of universities/colleges you think you might wish to apply for and ask them for suggestions. That way, even without spending $1,000, you would have distinguished yourself from the majority of students who would later apply for admission.

On a completely different note, I had a look at Google maps to see where Prescott was precisely. Neat coincidence - I've been there. After a business meeting in Phoenix in '95 or '96 I took a few days to drive around Arizona. With the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff and Meteor Crater dealt with I visited the Jerome "ghost town" with the mining museum. Then along an old trail, which in part I think had been a railway line, and got to the Chino Valley (where I had an excellent hamburger in fries by a roadside bar), then down through Prescott.

Anyway, good luck with your ambitions.

Well there actually is a few biotech places in phoenix like jocular said. I'm surprised I didn't think of contacting them earlier. Thanks for the help and for wishing me good luck!!! Sometimes I forget how nice Arizona can be, glad you had a good time. I have been to Jerome a few times and it's a neat place. I went up there in winter once when it was snowing which made the place seem so cozy, hopefully I will do it again this year.

Originally Posted by jocular

Originally Posted by Deewreck

I live in Prescott Arizona and it is not exactly a big place so I wouldn't know where I could possibly go to volunteer to do something around this that could help me out for this. My high school has no clubs related to science, bit crummy really. If any of you have any ideas on what I should do I would appreciate it if you helped me out.

I apologize in advance if I am putting this in the wrong section, it seemed right since biotech is related to biology.

Ah, but what a beautiful place! Try Coconino Community College, ask for MIKE OPPPER, try ext. 4266. He is the senior advisor there, privy to most all offerings within the State of Arizona. BTW, the plaque carrying the "Roughriders" inscription in front of the County Courthouse in Prescott carries the name of "Wiggins" who rode with Teddy Roosevelt. I worked with his grandson.

Woah thanks for the contact! What exactly should I be asking him? I know you said he an adviser and all, but I am not sure how I should go about it. Also that's pretty cool you got to work with Wiggins's grandson!

All of you really are so nice ! I'm so happy you all helped me out ;_;