A day in the life of a Biorocket intern
This year, Genspace's Biorocket Research Internship Program turns 10 — ten years of bright, curious students who have come through our doors to find out what it means to do science.
Since Biorocket's inaugural summer in 2017, 124 students have spent time in our lab learning to design experiments, troubleshoot the unpredictable reality of research, and build the confidence to pursue science as a career.
We're very proud that 80% have gone on to stay in STEM. Some are in graduate school, some are entering the workforce, some are just starting undergrad, and others are still finishing high school. Many of them still point to Biorocket as a pivotal moment in their journey.
In today's newsletter, we'd love for you to hear directly from Rayhona, a current member of Cohort #10, about what a day in the life of a Biorocket intern.
Without further ado... here's a look into a super busy day through the eyes of Rayhona E!
As a heavy sleeper, waking up is terribly hard for me. Luckily, my mom is basically my built-in alarm clock. 😄
My day starts bright and early at 4:15 AM, when I wake up to pray Fajr before happily crawling back into bed. Then at 8:10 AM, it's actually time to start the day.
I like my mornings slow and steady. I absolutely hate feeling rushed, so I take my time getting ready, which is probably why I'm always one step too late to catch the D train. You'll almost never catch me getting ready without Khorazm Lazgi playing in the background.
By 9:30 AM, I'm on the train heading into Brooklyn, and about 35 minutes later, I arrive at Genspace.
At 10:00 AM, my day officially begins.
From 10:00–11:00 AM, I ease into the day with housekeeping alongside my research group. We talk through the day's schedule, discuss our progress, search for scientific papers related to our research, and sometimes kick things off with an icebreaker.
For the next hour or so, my team walks around the neighborhood collecting eggshells from local businesses like Sunset Bagels, Gravesend Pizzeria, and the deli right across. (Editor's note: Rayhona's group is researching eggshell-derived calcium carbonate as a biomaterial alternative for biodegradable coffins!) Somewhere along the way, Amayah and I decided that if we were the Egghead Group, then the deli owner was officially our "Egghead Uncle."
After chatting with everyone about our project and hauling bags full of eggshells back to the lab, we usually reward ourselves with a quick Dunkin' run before lunch.
I almost always order the same thing for lunch: a spicy chicken cutlet hero with everything and an energy drink. It's good every time.
One of my favorite things about Genspace is that every day feels different while still having structure. As someone who's definitely Type A, I appreciate knowing what to expect while still getting to do something new every day.
Mondays and Wednesdays are usually dedicated to soil collection and testing, Tuesdays are spent fabricating more [eggshell] biocomposite and working with Irondale, Thursdays are reserved for field trips, and Fridays are for research writing and poster development.
1:00 PM – After lunch, there's usually a guest speaker.
We've heard from researchers, startup founders, data scientists, physicians, and professionals working across every corner of STEM. I honestly love this part of the day because everyone's journey looks completely different. Some stayed in academia, some transitioned into industry, some built startups, and others discovered that the career they thought they wanted wasn't actually the right fit.
One piece of advice that has really stuck with me is that you don't have to have your entire life figured out. Try things. Be decisive. If you realize something isn't for you, pivot. Science isn't linear, and neither are the people who work in it.
2:00 PM – Back to the lab. I used to imagine research as constant discoveries and exciting breakthroughs. Sometimes it can be. But most of the time? It's repetitive tasks.
For my group, it's boiling eggshells.
Then baking eggshells.
Then grinding eggshells.
Then realizing you need more eggshells.
That's for our biocomposite. We also have our soil testing workflow, where we test the soil where we buried some eggshell tablets in the first week of the summer. Every two days, we collect soil from the cemetery and test for pH and nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels.
Collect the soil. Sift the soil. Add water and mix. Let the mixture settle for three hours. Analyze and color match the soil mixture to the color grid. Then I record it on a very aesthetically pleasing spreadsheet, which [my peer] Hubert never fails to make fun of.
Our biomaterials team has a pretty efficient system. Kate, our peer mentor, usually keeps an eye on the baking process. Itzel somehow has the patience to grind eggshell powder forever. Hubert has become surprisingly confident boiling eggs after doing it so many times this summer. Amayah somehow manages to keep everyone's energy up no matter how repetitive the work gets. As for me, I'm usually floating between helping everywhere and documenting absolutely everything. If someone asks what happened three days ago at 2:17 PM, there's a pretty good chance I wrote it down.
Eventually, all of those eggshells become a biocomposite. We've collected soil samples throughout Greenwood Cemetery, buried eggshell tablets, tested soil chemistry, revised protocols, rewritten timelines, and learned very quickly that experiments almost never go exactly according to plan. Honestly, that's been one of the biggest lessons this summer: science is unpredictable.
But it's so worthwhile for me. I hope to make affordable, environmentally sustainable alternatives like eggshell coffins — the future of American burial culture and an extension of healthcare that humanizes individuals.
4:00 PM – It's time to head out. I usually stay another 20–30 minutes to finish processing soil samples with my group and clean up. As Itzel says, "We leave here better than it was before, or try to."
5:00–8:00 PM – I'm at the library for my shift as a Storyteen Intern. I handle creating example crafts, putting together story time outlines, making kits for our patrons, organizing books (filtering through ones for deletion vs. ones that need a new sleeve), and helping the librarians with programs. It sounds like a lot of work, but time flies when I'm chatting with Mrs. Alyssa, Ariel, Liv, Cristina, Eric, and everyone, really. I love my community at Genspace and the Library.
8:00–9:00 PM – I head to the gym for a quick run and head home to wind down.
Outside of Genspace, Rayhona works at the Brooklyn Public Library as a Storyteen Intern and is part of the upcoming cohort of Superintendent Michael Prayor's Youth Leadership Council. In her free time, she loves journaling, freewriting, and running.
The Biorocket Research Internship Program is a 6-month science research internship experience for New York City public and charter high school students aged 16 and up.
The program provides students with the opportunity to learn the latest advances in genetic engineering and biology laboratory skills, along with the science communication skills necessary to communicate about these topics with a variety of audiences. By participating in the program, students have access to scientific mentors, behind-the-scenes lab tours and field trips, and improv training for science communication skills. Applications for the next cohort open in November 2027.
Biorocket is made possible by the generous support of partners who believe that access to science should not be limited to traditional academic & industry settings. Our thanks to: the Pinkerton Foundation, Life Science Cares NY, New England Biolabs, the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program, and the New York City Council & NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, in partnership with District 38 Council Member Alexa Avilés.
Coming Up at Genspace
Community Events • Opportunities • Jobs
Community Events
• 7/29 - Fish are Teachers Artist Series at Oko Farms
• 7/31 - Lectures on Tap: The Neuroscience of Vision
• 7/31 - Bryant Park Reading Room Nature Talks: Nature and Humanity
• 8/2 - Inwood Canoe Club Open House
• 8/9 - Pioneer Works Second Sundays
• 8/20 - Ask a Scientist Hudson River Park Trust
Opportunities
• Science Illustration Intern, Xerces Society
• Cientifico Latino Academy Call for Mentors
• Rearc Institute Center for Planetary Pedagogies: 2026 Edition
• Biodesign Challenge 2027
• National Geographic and the Nature Conservancy Community Conservation, Data Visualization, and Mapping Externship
• 2026 Liu Shiming grants for visual artists
• Plexus Projects Studio Residency
Jobs
• Multiple Positions, Grow NYC
• Learning Labs Resource Coordiantor, American Museum of Natural History
• Multiple Positions, Raising Health Partners
• Programs Associate, Arts in Education Roundtable
• Carbon Farm Planner Coordinator, NY Textile Lab
• Senior Bioinformatics Programmer, NYU Grossman
• Multiple Positions, Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics
• Part Time STEM Educator, Liberty Science Center
• Part Time Museum Educator, New York Foundation for the Arts
• Multiple Positions, Streetlab