career exploration for high school students

Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship Program

In partnership with the Dane County School Consortium, the BTC Institute has been actively involved in the development and implementation of the Dane County Youth Apprenticeship Program in Biotechnology, launched through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in 1993. Students may elect to complete a two-year apprenticeship or a one-year senior internship.

The program includes paid training in an industry or UW-Madison research lab. Students receive high school credit for their work experience (450 hours required per year) and for participation a specialized biotechnology course held weekly during the Academic Year at the BTC Institute.

For more information, please view the following links:
– YAP Biotechnology Level 1 Flyer
– YAP Biotechnology Level 2 Flyer
– www.dcsc.org/yap
– Youth Apprenticeship Information Nights (1/23/23, virtual; 2/15/23, in-person; or 3/7/23, virtual)

Our blog for Promega Connections highlights the value of this experience for all participants: Playing it Forward: Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship and Mentorship

2021-2022 Apprentices

Second Year Seniors

Ronan Lalor
School: Verona High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center
Dr. Emily Hahn

Madison Mussa
School: Waunakee High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Miranda Stauss and Dr. Roger Wiseman, in the lab of Dr. Dave O’Connor

Sydney Schumacher
School: Waunakee High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Department of Entomology
in the lab of Dr. Sean Schoville

Warren Shepard
School: Middleton High School
Worksite & Mentor:
LGC (formerly Lucigen)
Lucas Slivicke

Brittney (Phuong) Vo
School: Middleton High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC)
David Antonio Rivera-Kohr, in the lab of Dr. Brian G. Fox

Morgan Warner
School: Monona Grove High School
Worksite & Mentor:
AmebaGone
Courtney Griese

Cole Weaver
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Morgridge Institute for Research
Dan Pham, Andrea Scheifelbein, and Amani Gillette, in the lab of Dr. Melissa Skala

First Year Seniors and Juniors

Sneha Chandrashekar
School: Middleton High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Dept. of Comparative Biosciences
Jaskiran Sandhu, in the lab of Dr. Chad Vezina

Taylor Daniels
School: Oregon High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Hoey Apothecary
Kevin Hoey and Griffin Daniel

Jing Drewes
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Plant Pathology
Evan Lozano, in the lab of Dr. Leslie Holland

Melina Guastella
School: Monona Grove High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry
Justin Acheson, in the lab of Dr. Brian Fox

Nikkia Kohn
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Botany
Bessie Splitt, in the lab of Dr. Edgar Spalding

Daniel Lee
School: Middleton High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry
Justin Acheson, in the lab of Dr. Brian Fox

Eun Seo Lee
School: Middleton High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry, NMRFAM
Dr. Ronnie O. Frederick and Bren Myer, in the lab of Dr. Chad Rienstra

Leora Lewandowski
School: Verona High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Animal and Dairy Sciences
Waneska Frizzarini, in the lab of Dr. Laura Hernandez

Ella Lodewyk
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry
Justin Acheson, in the lab of Dr. Brian Fox

Payton Margenau
School: Waunakee High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry, NMRFAM
Dr. Ronnie O. Frederick and Bren Myer, in the lab of Dr. Chad Rienstra

Kaya Meyers
School: Waunakee High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry
Debayan Chaudhury, in the lab of Dr. Brian Fox

Adriana Nickels
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Aldevron
Emily Steffen

Ojaswi Pasachhe
School: Verona High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Morgridge Institute for Research
Kayvan Samimi and Peter Rehani, in the lab of Dr. Melissa Skala

Keerthi Peddinti
School: Middleton High School

Ian Reller
School: Verona High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Mike Lipski and Carol Mielke

Hailey Sieren
School: Oregon High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry
Justin Acheson, in the lab of Dr. Brian Fox

Emma Snelling
School: McFarland High School
Worksite & Mentor:
USDA-ARS-Cereal Crops
Danielle Graham and Dr. Ramamurthy Mahalingam

Kade Tracy
School: Oregon High School
Worksite & Mentor:
Aldevron
Emily Steffen

Laura Wang
School: Verona High School
Worksite & Mentor:
UW-Madison Dept. of Biochemistry, NMRFAM
Dr. Ronnie O. Frederick and Bren Myer, in the lab of Dr. Chad Rienstra