From CCOP Intern to Stanford Transfer: Reflections and Advice for early researchers
Nice to meet you all! I’m Abbie, a previous CCOP-CORE intern and incoming transfer student to Stanford in the fall! I’ve been in the Straight Lab in the Department of Biochemistry since I joined as an intern in the summer of 2025. I wanted to answer some common questions that people have asked me about starting as a CCOP intern, preparing for the transfer process, and research in general!
Did you need prior experience in a research lab to intern through CCOP?
No! When I first began at community college (Las Positas), I lacked any sort of formal research experience. I got involved in the honors program my college offered, as it offered me the opportunity to work one-on-one with my professors to develop a project targeted towards an interest of my choosing. I knew I wanted to do a more research-oriented project, but the supplies we had were relatively limited, so I explored various computational and dry-lab projects I could do online. In fact, my goal when applying to CCOP was to get my first real wet-lab experience, so I could gain skills to complement what I’d done back at my community college.
If your community college has an honors program, it’s a great opportunity to get a taste of what it might be like! If you’ve completed relevant coursework in your lower-division classes, you can also definitely emphasize any lab projects you’ve done or techniques you’re familiar with in those.
Do you need to know exactly what you want to study when you’re applying?
No! The CCOP application form asks you to check off all the research areas you’re interested in – meaning, it’s expected that many people will have broad interests spanning multiple disciplines. As an undergraduate, you likely haven’t had a lot of exposure to what each of these research departments really entails (I didn’t!) so take the opportunity to read up briefly on what each department offers.
As an intern, you aren’t expected to fully understand your lab’s research and your project before you start. Take time to read over some papers from the lab and study the lab’s background to get an idea of what to expect, but you might not understand every word. However, you should be very willing to learn and show up with the drive and excitement to see what’s next! Don’t ever be afraid to ask your lab mentor or anyone around you any questions that you have. Everybody in CCOP is part of the program in order to introduce community college students to science – they want to see you succeed.
With no previous research lab experience, how was the transition process to working in the Straight Lab?
Graduate-level research was a big step forward from what I’d previously done. I hardly knew how to hold a pipette, yet my first internship project tasked me with designing and optimizing techniques I had never heard of before. Each new day tested my ability to absorb and retain information. Yet, every time I decided to ask what seemed like a “stupid” question, the answers opened another door: to understand not only how something worked, but why it was meaningful. (Shoutout to my lab mentor Jacob Schwartz, and the rest of the Straight Lab, who continue to answer all the questions I have!) Learning to ask questions and become familiar with the process of trial and error only expanded my fascination with biochemistry. In fact, before CCOP, I had never truly considered pursuing a PhD career. Now, I hope to eventually do so after graduating.
A piece of advice: be prepared for the possibility of your experiment not going right the first time – or the third time, or the fifth time. In contrast to the experiments you might’ve done in class, where things are designed to go a certain way and have been reproduced hundreds of times, many of the experiments you might do here are brand-new and are not perfect. As such, I continue to challenge myself in the lab to not only improve my technical skills and deepen my understanding of biological processes, but practice resilience. Each experiment is uncertain. Failure sometimes seems all-but-guaranteed. Ironically, I find that unsuccessful attempts often reveal more than their perfect counterparts. By troubleshooting each issue, I’ve structured and honed my problem-solving abilities, allowing me to better tackle complex research questions in the future.
How can I continue in research after my internship? What makes a “good” intern?
There are many different ways to stay involved. For me personally, after my initial summer internship, I remained in the Straight Lab because I was still interested in my project and wanted to continue it. Additionally, I still had a year left until I had to apply for transfer, so I didn’t look for any other opportunities. I ended up transferring here, so that worked out pretty well!
An important thing to note is that this might not be possible for all interns and all labs. If the lab doesn’t fit you as well personally, the part-time nature of the project is difficult to maintain, or funding is an issue, it is possible to be matched with another lab through CCOP and continue a different project elsewhere. Additionally, if you are transferring in less time, it makes sense to start looking at prospective labs at the school you’re planning to transfer to. Many schools may not have open internship opportunities, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck! Cold emailing faculty and graduate students is a great way to introduce yourself and connect with prospective labs that have interesting research.
As for what makes a “good intern”, that varies from internship to internship. Every mentor and mentee is different. Here are a few of the most common things that make a ‘good intern’:
Willingness to learn: Get really involved in your research! Read papers on the literature surrounding your project. Ask questions! Show that you’re curious about the science and that you care just as much as your mentor does.
Organization: Your mentor wants to teach you, of course, but also wants to help you build independence! Take notes and keep a lab notebook (physical and/or digital) of what you learn, so you don’t have to be taught the same thing twice.
Preparedness: If your mentor provides you with the protocol of the experiment you’re doing ahead of time, make sure to read it, annotate if necessary, and be familiar enough with it to ask any big questions you might have before the experiment starts. Show up on time, and communicate with your mentor to work out any changes in schedule.
Finally, remember that everyone in CCOP is there to help you. Your lab mentor, program mentor, and all of CCOP leadership is able to help you with any issues that might arise during the course of your internship, so don’t be afraid to ask or speak up with any questions you have!
Research as an undergraduate is a valuable experience that many community college students miss out on, just because it isn’t typically offered at many two-year institutions. Make the most of your time, and happy researching!
