The “Most Amazing” Experiences of Real-Life Work

That new cardiologist’s assistant helping run a stress test? The legislative aid-in-training developing talking points about a health bill? Those laser-focused lab techs conducting research on the epigenetic factors in breast cancer progression?

They aren't young professionals in their first job. They aren't college students building up their resume, either. They are Brooks School students diving into real-world work in medicine, politics and more during their Students on the Forefront summer program.

“It was probably the most amazing experience of my life,” Brianna Mungai ’26 said of her five-days-a-week work in the office of Massachusetts State Senator Barry Finegold P'22 (above) this summer. During her posting, she tracked Finegold’s legislative priorities, identified communications opportunities, networked and absorbed all she could from a daily “speaker series,” featuring state representatives and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.

“I’m learning a lot every day about the legislative process, teamwork and communication, and it has helped me grow more confident in a professional setting,” said Mungai. “It’s exciting to be part of a team working on issues that impact people’s lives.”

Hands-on opportunities are the heart of Brooks’ Students on the Forefront program, which aims to open doors for rising sixth-form students to gain professional experiences and further their interests. Initially developed by Brooks’ Science Department, the program was expanded in 2024 to include humanities, finance and arts.

This year, 16 students participated in the initiative through 12 placements in businesses, hospitals, labs, offices and non-profits based in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as online. Students in the class of 2026 applied, then interviewed last winter. Decisions were released in February and as soon as the school year ended, the Brooksians began their summer at postings including Amnesty International, Axial Financial Group and the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Laboratory of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

See a photo album of this summer’s Students on the Forefront interns in action!

“It’s just such a great experience and it opens your mind to something that you never thought you’d be able to do in your life,” Mungai said of the experience.

Others were equally enthusiastic about their placements:

Cancer Research at the University of Vermont’s Stein/Lian Lab

For two weeks until mid-July, Ella Salhanick ’26 and Kate Yannetti ’26 bunked in UVM’s dorms and joined scientists and graduate researchers in laboratory projects focused on cancer research. The pair completed an additional two weeks of work online afterward.

“I got to grow, feed, wash, split, clone and image cells,” said Yannetti (above). Alongside a post-doctorate fellow, she looked at “the impact MANCR/IncRNAs had on aggressive breast cancer cells and ways that it can be targeted to help treat breast cancer.”

Salhanick (above) said she appreciated being able to participate in experiments that explored concepts she’d learned about at Brooks. “This experience has given me more insight in to the scientific field, and strengthened my understanding and appreciation for biology as a whole.”

Cardiovascular Medicine at Lawrence General Hospital

Three days a week for a month, Elisia LeBranti ’26 experienced life as a doctor. “Every second I was either watching surgery or working with patients,” she said.

As a mentee of Chief of Cardiovascular and Ambulatory Medicine at Lawrence General Hospital Dr. Sunit Mukherjee P'15, P'22 (below), she bounced from the intensive care unit to a stress lab before scrubbing in to watch cardiac catheterization procedures. “Every day I felt like I was learning something new and getting more comfortable in a hospital environment,” she said.

In the middle of her month at the hospital, LeBranti switched to spend three days shadowing a series of doctors working in general surgery. “It was cool because I was actually able to scrub into three surgeries a day from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and watch all types of things,” she said. “The surgeons were great. They explained every step as they worked on the patient. …I loved the fact that I was able to watch super cool procedures and see things I had never seen before. I learned so much through this experience and would do it again if I could.”

Coastal Restoration and Climate Resilience Lab at the University of New Hampshire 

Jill Hamilton ’26 participated in guided fieldwork, lab analysis and learned about coastal ecology with UNH’s Gregg E. Moore, Ph.D. P’24, associate professor of coastal restoration and resilience, and program coordinator: marine, estuarine and freshwater biology a couple of times a week throughout the summer.

Measuring the water height in Great Marsh (within Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury, Mass.), and a control height compared to sea level, Hamilton explained that she tracked “how different restoration methods help the marshes resist flooding because of the rising tides.”

And while the lab work wasn’t her calling, she said, “It was important to the research that Dr. Moore’s students are doing and I thought that it was cool to get to be involved with their research.” 

“I really enjoyed doing the measurements,” Hamilton added, “because I thought it was very interesting to learn how to use and to learn the importance of these pieces of technology."

Discovery Museum

Event management and fundraising were the focus of Natalie Menendez ’26 during her month at the Acton, Mass. non-profit. For eight hours each week, she prepared for the children’s museum’s inaugural sustainability fair, “Nature Play Festival,” and adults-only “Discovery After Dark” event, which she also helped host. Logistics, marketing, coordinating with vendors, Menendez did it all.

“My favorite part about being here definitely has to be working behind-the-scenes,” she (above, with Discovery Museum Senior Director of Development Tobey Fossey) said in July. “It’s really been great [working to] promote the Discovery Museum because I think it is such a special place… Teaching [children] about nature and science and all these different subjects!”

Laboratory Research in Boston University School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology

“I've been learning so much about disease and how specifically microplastics can cause disease in cells,” Rohan Amin '26 reported from his placement with Dr. Jim Crott P'25, '28, associate professor in the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University (below).

For about seven weeks, Amin investigated the genotoxicity of microplastics and how they affect intestinal cells with Crott, who studies the interaction between diet, gut microbiome, colon tumorigenesis and aging.

“This hands-on experience has really helped me learn how to design and carry out experiments, analyze data and troubleshoot when things don’t go as planned,” said Amin. “Being part of the research team has improved my understanding of cellular biology and lab techniques. I’m excited to keep building these skills while contributing to meaningful scientific work.”

Marble Harbor Investment Counsel

Elijah Saliev ’26 spent the summer researching a game publishing company for his work in investment management.

Learning from Marble Harbor Investment Counsel Member and Portfolio Manager LJ Harrington ’80 (below), the future financier got an introduction to traditional asset classes of equities and fixed income, as well as private equity, private credit and leveraged loans.

“I enjoyed the research meetings the most,” said Saliev. “We discussed what we have researched and any updates about the companies that we’re following.”

Recommending the placement and Students on the Forefront in general to fellow students, Saliev called the program “a really great” learning experience. “You have something to do over the summer,” he said. “And you get a professional experience which is just priceless at our age.”

Medical Device Development and Testing at Globus Medical

“My six weeks at Globus was basically a crash course in everything engineering and how to realistically turn ideas into something actionable,” said Emma Nagle ’26.

She and her student partner created a variety of projects at the Methuen, Mass., medical device company, from making machine assembly instructions to drawing up 3D models.  

“They pretty much threw us anything and trusted us to see it through,” Nagle added of her time working with Globus CTO of Imaging, Navigation and Robotics Norbert Johnson P'24, P'26 (above) and his team. “Each of the projects — from making prototypes of a newly designed robot arm to creating our own fixture for accuracy testing — taught me something new: a new skill, a new problem-solving approach. I didn't even have to be ‘working’ to be learning.”

Surgical Clinical Rotation at Massachusetts General Hospital

Thanks to MGH Executive Medical Director, Perioperative Administration Peter Dunn '82, P'11, P'13, P'15, P'18 and Dr. Xiaodong Bao P'23, another student spent nearly two months in Boston trying out his dream job.

Three days a week, starting at 7:30 a.m., he shadowed a doctor in the operating room to observe orthopedic, cardiovascular, trauma, obstetric and gastrointestinal procedures, calling it "a great experience.”

Learn more about Brooks School's Students on the Forefront program and other past placements.