Davitte Khauv's internship in a Mayo Clinic research lab went so well that she was hired full time in 2007 when she completed her associate degree in biotechnology at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ).
Khauv, whose family immigrated to the United States from Cambodia when she was 18 months old, was influenced by her cousins' success in computer science and initially started work on a bachelor’s degree in this field before deciding she was more interested in laboratory work. She's happy she learned about FSCJ's biotech program during an internet search.
The college based its program to prepare technicians for careers in research labs on ATE initiatives in North Carolina, Texas, and California.
Khauv's advice to people considering biotech careers is: "Go for it! What you learn will be with you always and what you think you won’t need to learn will surprise you."