My name is Lucy Davis, a senior Biology major at Whitman College. This summer I
worked with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation, an international group of scientists,
paramedics, and doctors that work to treat, prevent and provide education about snakes and
snakebites. Snakebites impact over 600,000 people worldwide each year and are considered a
neglected tropical disease. The snakebite crisis worsens each year as more people encroach
upon snake habitats. This public health crisis can be mitigated because the heart of the
issue is the lack of access to effective treatment rather than the snake bite itself. Understanding
that can make a huge impact itself.
A significant project that I worked on with a team of students was creating an infographic
to educate people on the snakebite crisis. If people understand the complex public health crisis
then they can begin to take the necessary steps to end the vicious cycle. I also consulted on a
project intended to guide victims of snakebite. This project was a poster that aided in the
necessary steps that should be taken following a snake bite. Throughout this summer, I had to
develop my communication skills as I was working with students and people from other countries. It was difficult to work across time zones and accommodate many different schedules, but I created meaningful friendships from this internship. This opportunity opened my eyes to issues across the globe, and helped me see that even though snakebite is
not a major crisis where I am from, that does not mean that it is not a significant issue in the
world. It also helped teach me about inclusion and diversity. We had to make sure that all of our
work was a certain color so that it was accessible to people who were color blind. That is just
one example of the kinds of inclusion and accessibility we had to be mindful of. Being able to
use my scientific knowledge to make a positive difference was incredibly rewarding and
reassured me that I am on the right path at Whitman as a biology student.
Eventually, I would like to attend veterinary school, but I know that it will be a long journey
to get there. Working with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation allowed me to learn about
animals and study medical issues relating to the snakebite crisis. While I was not working
directly with snakes this summer, I was required to learn about snakes and medicine, which is an
incredible starting point to my eventual goal of veterinary medicine.
Experiences like Lucy Davis’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit, some for-profit, and government organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long grants at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, contact us at ccec_info@whitman.edu.