{"id":188,"date":"2020-04-21T08:59:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T08:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/2020\/04\/21\/no-limits\/"},"modified":"2020-04-21T08:59:08","modified_gmt":"2020-04-21T08:59:08","slug":"no-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/2020\/04\/21\/no-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"No Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a Goodnight Scholar<\/a> at NC State, Alex Rojas \u201920 has embraced every experience that has come his way.<\/p>\n

He has served as a Goodnight Ambassador, planning and leading events within the community. As a mentor, he helped first-year students with their transitions to college. And through the program, he has been able to visit Boston, study abroad in France and hike Machu Picchu in Peru.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the trip Rojas didn\u2019t take that might end up having the greatest impact.<\/p>\n

Like many students, he decided to cancel his spring break travel this year as the novel coronavirus spread. He found himself with a week to fill when one of his NC State advisers forwarded an email request for interns to assemble boxes and ship COVID-19 tests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured I\u2019d give it a shot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rojas was hired to intern with BioMedomics, a Morrisville-based diagnostics company that has developed rapid testing for COVID-19. And on that first day, he did assemble boxes. But he quickly found himself going above and beyond his original job description, serving as a liaison between interns and the leadership team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s evolved to where now I\u2019m managing a team of 14 interns, coordinating our day-to-day activities, organizing orders with leadership and identifying priorities,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rewarding work \u2014 and surprising. \u201cI knew I was a go-getter, but this has given me a real, tangible way to exemplify it. I see something new in myself,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really special knowing that whenever a truck leaves this place, it\u2019s going to deliver tests to people who need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rojas sees his success at BioMedomics as a product of his time in the Goodnight Scholars program. From developing public speaking skills as an ambassador to finding role models in his fellow scholars, he\u2019s grown as a leader, identified impactful leadership styles and learned how to apply that knowledge.<\/p>\n

While courses have resumed, Rojas continues in his role at BioMedomics. This semester marks the end of his undergraduate studies, but as he finishes his degree in microbiology<\/a>, with a concentration in microbial biotechnology and a minor in biomanufacturing<\/a>, he\u2019s also working on the first year of an accelerated master\u2019s program. In the fall, Rojas will return to NC State to complete his master’s degree in microbial biotechnology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cScholarship support from the Goodnight Scholars program has opened up a lot of time for me that I otherwise would have spent figuring out how to pay for school or secure loans. It\u2019s given me freedom and flexibility to pursue what I want to do,\u201d Rojas said. \u201cThat\u2019s what has allowed me to pursue the accelerated master\u2019s program. I was able to tackle a heavy course load without financial worries.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Goodnight Scholars community has helped keep the goal of an advanced degree in reach for Rojas, a first-generation college student. He looked to both older students and program staff for advice and guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThankfully, our director and associate director have had the time for regular conversations about my needs and wants, and they\u2019ve helped me stay on the right track and keep the experience enjoyable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

One of those enjoyable experiences has helped connect Rojas with his next professional venture. His master\u2019s cohort partners with local researchers and biotech firms, offering strategies for commercializing technology, identifying consumer audiences and scaling up production.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stumbled across a career fair, and a conversation with a representative from Deloitte opened my eyes to the path of consulting,\u201d he said. \u201cI realized I\u2019ve been doing that through my practicum projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

This summer, he looks forward to the chance to try consulting full-time through an internship with Deloitte. In addition to the practicum, he continues to develop his skills by volunteering with Consult Your Community<\/a>, a student-run pro bono group that provides consulting services to small businesses in the Raleigh area run by people from underrepresented populations.<\/p>\n

As Rojas considers the next steps in his career path, he knows his experiences at BioMedomics will serve him well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an extraordinary opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve had the flexibility to demonstrate what I\u2019m able to do, without limits. I still haven\u2019t found the limit. Every day is different, and I like planning for that, identifying ways we can be more efficient, seeing how many tests we can get out in a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a glamorous thing we\u2019re doing, but the end result \u2014 providing these tests \u2014 feels amazing. I\u2019m satisfied and excited about each day.\u201d<\/p>\n

This post was originally published<\/a> in Giving News.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"As a Goodnight Scholar<\/a> at NC State, Alex Rojas \u201920 has embraced every experience that has come his way.\r\n\r\nHe has served as a Goodnight Ambassador, planning and leading events within the community. As a mentor, he helped first-year students with their transitions to college. And through the program, he has been able to visit Boston, study abroad in France and hike Machu Picchu in Peru.\r\n\r\nBut it\u2019s the trip Rojas didn\u2019t take that might end up having the greatest impact.\r\n\r\nLike many students, he decided to cancel his spring break travel this year as the novel coronavirus spread. He found himself with a week to fill when one of his NC State advisers forwarded an email request for interns to assemble boxes and ship COVID-19 tests.\r\n\r\n\u201cI figured I\u2019d give it a shot,\u201d he said.\r\n\r\nRojas was hired to intern with BioMedomics, a Morrisville-based diagnostics company that has developed rapid testing for COVID-19. And on that first day, he did assemble boxes. But he quickly found himself going above and beyond his original job description, serving as a liaison between interns and the leadership team.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s evolved to where now I\u2019m managing a team of 14 interns, coordinating our day-to-day activities, organizing orders with leadership and identifying priorities,\u201d Rojas said.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s rewarding work \u2014 and surprising. \u201cI knew I was a go-getter, but this has given me a real, tangible way to exemplify it. I see something new in myself,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really special knowing that whenever a truck leaves this place, it\u2019s going to deliver tests to people who need them.\u201d\r\n\r\nRojas sees his success at BioMedomics as a product of his time in the Goodnight Scholars program. From developing public speaking skills as an ambassador to finding role models in his fellow scholars, he\u2019s grown as a leader, identified impactful leadership styles and learned how to apply that knowledge.\r\n\r\nWhile courses have resumed, Rojas continues in his role at BioMedomics. This semester marks the end of his undergraduate studies, but as he finishes his degree in microbiology<\/a>, with a concentration in microbial biotechnology and a minor in biomanufacturing<\/a>, he\u2019s also working on the first year of an accelerated master\u2019s program. In the fall, Rojas will return to NC State to complete his master's degree in microbial biotechnology<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\u201cScholarship support from the Goodnight Scholars program has opened up a lot of time for me that I otherwise would have spent figuring out how to pay for school or secure loans. It\u2019s given me freedom and flexibility to pursue what I want to do,\u201d Rojas said. \u201cThat\u2019s what has allowed me to pursue the accelerated master\u2019s program. I was able to tackle a heavy course load without financial worries.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Goodnight Scholars community has helped keep the goal of an advanced degree in reach for Rojas, a first-generation college student. He looked to both older students and program staff for advice and guidance.\r\n\r\n\u201cThankfully, our director and associate director have had the time for regular conversations about my needs and wants, and they\u2019ve helped me stay on the right track and keep the experience enjoyable,\u201d he said.\r\n\r\nOne of those enjoyable experiences has helped connect Rojas with his next professional venture. His master\u2019s cohort partners with local researchers and biotech firms, offering strategies for commercializing technology, identifying consumer audiences and scaling up production.\r\n\r\n\u201cI stumbled across a career fair, and a conversation with a representative from Deloitte opened my eyes to the path of consulting,\u201d he said. \u201cI realized I\u2019ve been doing that through my practicum projects.\u201d\r\n\r\nThis summer, he looks forward to the chance to try consulting full-time through an internship with Deloitte. In addition to the practicum, he continues to develop his skills by volunteering with Consult Your Community<\/a>, a student-run pro bono group that provides consulting services to small businesses in the Raleigh area run by people from underrepresented populations.\r\n\r\nAs Rojas considers the next steps in his career path, he knows his experiences at BioMedomics will serve him well.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s been an extraordinary opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve had the flexibility to demonstrate what I\u2019m able to do, without limits. I still haven\u2019t found the limit. Every day is different, and I like planning for that, identifying ways we can be more efficient, seeing how many tests we can get out in a day.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s not a glamorous thing we\u2019re doing, but the end result \u2014 providing these tests \u2014 feels amazing. I\u2019m satisfied and excited about each day.\u201d"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goodnight Scholar Alex Rojas \u201920 is applying skills developed in the scholarship program to an internship at BioMedomics, where he leads a team assembling and shipping out boxes of rapid COVID-19 tests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-6"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.ucomm.ncsu.edu\/web-platform-free-tier\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}