Intern of the Week: Velma Funebe

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:14:03 -0400
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Name: Velma Funebe

Pronouns: She/Her

Semester of Internship: Summer 2024

Major: Public Health

Current Class Level: Sophomore

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name):Amgen

Location of the Organization (City, State):Thousand Oaks, California

Title of position: Representation in Clinical Trials -Global Expansion Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities: As a RISE intern I work in Amgen's Research and Development Function. My job is to design a community engagement strategy to build Amgen's new Clinical trial infrastructure in India. On a day to day I connect with government affairs, R & D directors and business performance managers to create an ethical and strategy to support health equity goals in India.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?: I heard about this position through personal research in Early january. I applied through the website and about a month later began the 2 round interview process. Funny enough, after I was offered the position my friend sent me a post from UMBC advertising positions at Amgen. UMBC's Career and academic resources are really doing a great job keeping us on the pulse when it comes to amazing opportunities.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?:LinkedIn or other social media

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?:I love everything about my position. The team and company culture is my favorite. Everyone is so encouraging and gives you a lot of room to design your internship experience to your liking. Ive been able to set meeting with VP's, CEOS and so many executive partners who are so excited to meet me and genuinely are happy Im there. My managers are supportive in every step and have faith in my abilities. I'm so grateful to be here and excited for the future.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?:My work is meaningful to me because it really has an impact. Making a familiar industry in a new country digestible is no easy feat. The research I'm doing about community efforts that are making a real impact will help in how funding is allocated to communities in need. I'm so excited to be on a team that focuses on diversity and equity in the Clinical trial space. My work helps in shaping better relationships between communities and Amgen.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?:My advice would be to go to every Resume Rescue. I went to almost every resume workshop and they really showed me how by just framing my experience differently according to the industry I can leverage my transferable skills.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.:The cafeteria, work- life balance and impact Amgen is making in biotech is amazing to witness. I'm so grateful to God for putting me in a position to learn from such a diligent and diverse team. The Career center resume workshops have really helped me stand out and leverage my brand.