A Day to Remember for Interns and Their Families
July 31, 2025
Fifteen high school students from Palm Beach and Martin counties celebrated their summer of accomplishment at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute surrounded by their families, mentors, teachers and supporters. The Glenn W. Bailey STEM Education & Outreach Programs Kenan Fellows Summer Symposium featured a poster session, lightning talks and a reception.
Dr. Nancy Cable, executive director of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, provided heartfelt congratulations during video remarks, along with the scientific director of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Patrick Griffin, Ph.D. In addition, the students were joined by Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Sara Baxter; Chelsea Reed, City Council Member and former Mayor, City of Palm Beach Gardens and member of The Wertheim UF Scripps Ambassador Council member, as well as Yaneli Mata, assistant chief of staff to Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores. All praised the students’ hard work and dedication to STEM education – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“This is a big, rigorous program you have been a part of, and it took courage to even apply, and to start out earlier this summer as a group that didn’t necessarily know each other that well,” Cable, from the Kenan Trust, told the students. “I’m representing the Kenan trustees when I tell you that they are very, very proud of what you’re doing, and consider this one of the most significant scientific grants that we give, across all of the territory that we cover.”
The students hailed from 10 different public and private high schools in the region. Their summer projects included analyzing the impact of social sensitivity on sleep in a drosophila fruit fly model; transfecting the TRPC6 gene in cells; creating and studying the role of specific functional protein fragments in cells; analyzing functional learning impairments caused by a loss of the SYNGAP1 gene; understanding genes involved in inflammation and fibrosis, and developing a new cell line to enable cancer research.
See photos from the memorable event below, and keep scrolling to see several interns’ “Day in the Life” videos.
Photo Gallery
All photos are by Capehart Photgraphy.
Day-In-The-Life Videos
2025 Kenan Fellows List
