LYNN — Lynn English High School Senior Antonio Martinez has completed his summer internship with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard by presenting his research project to Lynn Public Schools earlier this month.
The prestigious Broad Institute Summer Scholarship Program selects a handful of students annually to conduct cutting-edge research in fields such as cancer biology, psychiatric disease, chemical biology, computational biology, infectious disease, and more.
An idiopathic disability in Martinez’s family fueled his passion for STEM, as his goals are to help develop mental health treatments. Therefore, when Martinez applied to the Broad Institute Summer Scholarship Program, his application heavily focused on psychiatric and neuroscientific themes.
However, his final project revolved around genomics and single-cell RNA sequencing. More specifically, he developed a protocol to identify the most efficient and cost-effective electrophoresis instrument, which is a device that analyzes and characterizes DNA and RNA cells. Martinez said this project was relevant to his values as a scientist, as it involves examining diseases to figure out specialized treatments.
“It’s really important that we’re looking at a really small level to the point where we’re able to get personalized care for others,” Martinez said. “I was able to apply my interests to my new setting. The program taught me to be more open-minded, and made me want to seek research as a possible career opportunity.”
While Martinez was already more than comfortable with grasping scientific concepts, the Broad Institute Summer Scholarship Program allowed him to develop interpersonal skills in an impactful environment.
“Its more than just being a scientist, but a community member,” he said.
Martinez highly recommends the Broad Summer Scholarship Program to fellow Lynn high-schoolers, as he believes it provides an important opportunity for Lynn Public School students to strengthen their interest in STEM fields.
When it comes to his acceptance into the Broad Summer Scholarship program, Martinez’s AP Chemistry teacher Amanda Anderson commended his impressive work ethic.
“Antonio is a self-advocate, consistently demonstrating the ability to seek help and clarification when needed. His organizational skills are commendable. He meticulously plans his projects and experiments, ensuring that he always meets deadlines and maintains high standards of quality,” Anderson said.
As for Martinez’s advice to those who wish to stand out in the Broad Summer Scholarship application process? Be yourself.
“Anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it, but what’s important and differentiates you from others is the reason for why you act. Depth in your character is superior to trying to be someone who you aren’t,” he said.
