Sarah Sargent '07

Sarah Sargent has always enjoyed science. From her first science fair in the second grade through learning the chemical properties of tie dye in her sophomore year of high school, Sarah always listed science as her favorite class. Only when Sarah began attending the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science, did she realize that she was interested in science as a career. At Mass. Academy, Sarah also had the chance to work at the Fire Science Lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institutes and discovered her love for science was deeper than just enjoying classwork.

Sarah arrived at Northeastern and selected biology as her major because it was her favorite science in high school. Her first Co-op was at Oncogene Science, a small biotech company in Cambridge, MA that manufactures cancer reagents for commercial and clinical use. She been apprehensive about Co-op, but her employers and coworkers set her at ease, teaching her to use laboratory equipment and helping her design experiments about the parameters of the experimental techniques being used. Sarah enjoyed her Co-op at Oncogene Science, and left knowing that while the biotech industry was fascinating, she was looking for something slightly different with which to combine her love of science.

That "something different" turned out to be education. Sarah had taken several education courses at Northeastern and found a way to combine her love of science with working with high school students though the BS-MAT program at the Northeastern School of Education. Sarah's second Co-op experience was a year long internship at Boston Latin Academy, one of Boston?s public exam schools for students in Grades 7-12. While at Latin Academy, Sarah taught two sections of ninth grade biology and one section of environmental science (high school seniors). She had the rare opportunity in watching her students grow over an entire school year and had the chance to design relevant and engaging curriculum.

Sarah is a member of the Class of 2007 and, due to the combined program, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Her Co-op experiences at Northeastern were invaluable in helping her decide what career path that she wanted to take before she left college. Both experiences were positive and helped to shape who she is today.