Lizzy was an Intern for the National Marrow Donor Program during Winter 2026.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
Coordinated and executed multiple campus events, enrolling a sum total of ~2000 new potential donors into the national registry in fall/winter semesters. Presented my personal story in classrooms and across Utah, contributing to donor acquisition. Strategized weekly with a team on marrow mentors on donor recruitment tactics, trainings, racial inclusion and scientific understanding for the national registry.
What did you learn on your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
Our big tabling event created community by allowing people spaces to share their stories and connect with others. Many times, during volunteering, I would meet people already on the registry, those who had close connection to the registry, and those who even donated. It was also so cool so see others who had donated during the donor dinner and create that sense of community.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
I am more confident that I want to go into medicine.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
During presentations, I would feel prompted to share certain aspects or tailor my "pitch" to certain people depending on the situations, and I definitely believe it was inspiration. For example, for the pre-med students in my chem class, I talked about how it was an opportunity to show an actual interest in medicine and helping others, and because of this many people expressed interest in joining the internship next semester. During the donor dinner, I felt prompted to invite the donors to volunteer even though that wasn't in the script.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
ABSOLUTELY!
This internship lets students learn how to talk to people and connect on a deeper level than you would expect. I would recommend this to EVERYONE!
