Tori Hale of St. Pete Beach Selected for Prestigious Internship at Moffitt Cancer Center

Tori Hale of St. Pete Beach Selected for Scientific Internship through the SPARK Program at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa

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Tori Hale

CLEARWATER, FL (05/30/2012)(readMedia)-- This summer will mark the beginning of an intense period of research for Victoria Hale. A sophomore biology major from St. Pete Beach, Florida, Tori has been accepted to participate in a ten-week scientific internship through the SPARK academic internship program at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Entrance into the program is competitive, and Tori was selected from a large pool of applicants. SPARK is a nonprofit organization that works with students to provide quality, life-changing internship opportunities.

"During my internship, I will possibly study molecular oncology; immunology; drug discovery; experimental therapeutics; risk assessment, detection and intervention; or health outcomes and behavior," said Tori. "At the end of my ten weeks, I am then required to write a paper and give a presentation on my research findings."

Tori's faculty sponsor, Dr. Helene Peters, associate professor of life sciences, said, "I was privileged to have Tori in my Science Seminar class this semester. She gave an original PowerPoint presentation and wrote an excellent paper on 'How 6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) metabolism affects the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).' Shortly before she had to present her research and paper, she met with me to express her gratitude for all she had learned in the seminar. She had just found out that she had been accepted into an internship program at the prestigious Moffitt Cancer Center, and that she would have to write a paper and present her research upon completion of her internship. The Science Seminar class aims to do exactly this: to equip our Science majors to go into their respective scientific fields with the skills they require and with confidence. I look forward to reading all about Tori's research and praise God for this wonderful young woman that has a bright future ahead of her."

Tori said, "I am not quite sure how I was blessed with this internship, but I do know that it had to be solely through the Lord's power. To Him be the glory!"