Hope College student and budding scientific researcher Mark Cunningham is grateful for the opportunity he received to intern at Van Andel Institute last summer. The senior from Shelby Township, Michigan (Utica HS) is a biochemistry and molecular biology major at Hope College. He wants to pursue a career in scientific research.
Van Andel Institute, tonight's beneficiary from the Hope College men's and women's soccer Purple Community doubleheader, is a national leader in biomedical research and science education.
Kickoff is 4 p.m. for the women's soccer game vs. Olivet and 7 p.m. for the men's soccer game vs. Adrian.
Hope players will wear purple warmup shirts. Purple Hope jerseys will be sold for $20 and purple Hope shirts for $10. At the concession stand, are offering a "Purple Package" in which customers may purchase a combo of a popcorn and a Gatorade or soda for $6.00. For each Purple Pack that is purchased, $1 will be donated to the Van Andel Institute.
WOMEN MIAA Standings | MIAA Leaders | PDF Version of Game Program
MEN MIAA Standings | MIAA Leaders | PDF Version of Game Program
One-hundred percent of a Purple Community fundraising event goes to support Van Andel Institute scientists who are studying more than 20 different diseases. Biomedical research is expensive and government funding of scientific research is at a historic low. It currently takes more than 10 years and a billion dollars to bring a new drug or treatment from the laboratory bench to a patient's bedside.
"I thought the internship was incredibly valuable for the amount of experience I got in such a short time," Cunningham said. "I want to go into a career in research, and it helped me see what that would be like in a professional setting rather than just from taking classes at a college."
Cunningham is one of several Hope College students who have been granted an internship through the Purple Community events at Hope College.
Cunningham plans to go to graduate school after he completes his studies at Hope College during the internship at Van Andel Institute.
Cunningham worked for eight hours a day for five days during the internship.
"I did a lot of growing of cells, isolating DNA from cells," Cunningham said."I learned about modification of DNA and how we can genes on and off."
