Merck Partnership paves way for Emmanuel internships

As part of an ongoing partnership between Merck & Co, Inc., located on the Emmanuel College campus, Emmanuel students have the chance to apply for an internship with the pharmaceutical company each year – typically biology and chemistry majors specifically.

Over the course of this summer, Kaylee Quick ’25, a Chemistry major at Emmanuel College, has been immersed in that industry experience right on the College’s doorstep – partaking in an analytical chemistry research project at Merck Research Laboratories.

Quick, who is entering her final year at Emmanuel, said she applied to anywhere from 20 to 30 companies to intern with, but felt the opportunity at the Merck position was “invaluable.”

“I consider myself incredibly lucky to have this experience,” Quick said. She is hoping to work in a similar role to one she’s been fulfilling this summer in her career, working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Assistant Director of Career Education within Emmanuel’s Leslie Ferrick McCafferty Career Center, Meghan Braganca, said the partnership creates a great opportunity for Emmanuel students each year. 

While the students still need to apply for the Merck internship, the Career Center often helps them with resume and application building, in addition to interview prep. “Having a company that’s so prevalent in that [pharmaceutical] industry right there is such unique access for the students,” Braganca said.

Getting the chance at an interview was all Quick needed. She said she was initially nervous for it, but once she got her foot in the door, she backed herself.

“I knew I could go in and sell myself as a scientist – not say that I know everything, but that I can learn and want to learn what you need me to learn for this role,” Quick said.

After 12 weeks of work this summer, Quick has been able to work with new instruments that wouldn’t typically be found at colleges or universities, and can now say that she’s added supercritical fluid chromatography – a unique skill and application of the instruments. “It has made my resume so much more robust,” she said.

Quick enjoyed analytical chemistry in class at Emmanuel, but after 12 weeks of research, it’s now a goal of hers to pursue it in her career. When she initially found out the nature of the role this summer – an analytical chemistry research position – she drew even more confidence from her positive experience in the lab and classroom on the Emmanuel campus.

Although her time at Merck has come to a close, Quick said she’s feeling good about taking one more year in the classroom setting – and feeling especially prepared for the instrumental chemistry course after all her practice this summer.

Matthew Casarano ’26, a Biology major, was also able to take advantage of the College’s partnership with Merck & Co. over the summer and got an inside look at the cutting edge of biotech and pharmaceutical technologies. It was the perfect fit: Casarano hopes to pursue pharmaceutical and biological research post-graduation.

“Being able to access this internship through Emmanuel gave me a huge advantage among my peers and allowed me to distinguish myself in my field of study. This opportunity really speaks to the ‘Emmanuel advantage’ – and speaks volumes about the relationship between the College and Merck,’” Casarano said.

The Merck experience is one that will follow him beyond Emmanuel, Casarano added, supporting him in future endeavors whether it be graduate school, future internships or career opportunities.