This summer, we welcomed three high school students from The Knowledge Society (TKS) to the BenchSci team for an immersive learning experience. While we haven't historically had a formal internship program, we’ve had a long-standing partnership with TKS and have continued to be impressed with the exceptional young minds that participate in their program.
The TKS Advantage
TKS is a global innovation accelerator designed to empower the next generation of changemakers. This intensive 10-month program is tailored for ambitious students aged 13-17, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and connections needed to create meaningful impact. Through TKS, students dive deep into emerging technologies, explore complex global issues, and develop innovative solutions.
Our partnership with TKS, now in its third year, has been pivotal in our ongoing efforts to champion diversity and inclusion in STEM, particularly for historically underrepresented communities. By providing mentorship, engaging students in complex challenges, and offering financial support to remove barriers to participation, we aim to level the playing field for underrepresented groups, empowering a new generation of diverse leaders and innovators.
From Summer Challenge to Summer Internship
Our collaboration with TKS has been a journey of mutual growth and inspiration. As a part of our ongoing partnership, we've hosted an annual Summer Challenge, where TKS students collaborate with BenchSci mentors to tackle real-world problems in the life sciences. Each year, we're blown away by their ingenuity and professionalism.
As part of last year's Summer Challenge, the winning team was awarded a placement at BenchSci. For us, this opportunity wasn't just a reward; it was an investment in their future and a chance for us to learn from their insights and perspectives.
We designed this placement with three core goals in mind: immerse these students in real-world projects to gain hands-on experience, offer mentorship and training to develop technical skills, and connect them with experts across BenchSci to expand their professional network. Their enthusiasm, creativity, and unique perspectives helped us advance important projects and sparked new ideas.
Meet the TKS Students
Krish Mendapara: With a background in science and a growing interest in technology, Krish joined the Customer Therapeutics team at BenchSci, working on AI-powered tools to analyze therapeutic data.
Naina Kumar: A passionate coder, Naina was part of the Scientific Data Standardization team, where she honed her skills and embraced the challenges of writing code.
Tehseen Daya: Tehseen is a tech enthusiast with a budding interest in startups. He joined the Customer Therapeutics team building tools to streamline scientific report writing.
To give you a firsthand look at their experiences, we sat down with Krish, Naina, and Tehseen to ask them about their projects, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned.
What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspect of your time at BenchSci?
“The most rewarding aspect has been connecting with people. Everyone has been incredibly open about their experiences and career journeys. I learned the importance of continuing to upskill. I’ve met several BenchSci employees who have transitioned from non-technical backgrounds into engineering and data science, while those with scientific, research, or academic backgrounds developed programming skills. This highlighted the importance of continuous learning and adaptation—something that is really valued at BenchSci.” - Krish Mendapara
“It has been really rewarding to see my team use my code and test it. In previous internships, I have simply been assigned a task and asked to complete it without knowing where my work will be implemented.” - Naina Kumar
“Since I go to the office regularly, I meet employees from every department, and as a result, I’ve learned about everything from sales to engineering to science to management. This has been my favorite part thus far.” - Tehseen Daya
You came into this experience with unique skill sets. Can you share one skill or piece of knowledge you've gained during your placement that you didn't expect to learn?
“I’ve always thought that I was a pro at coding and knew everything about coding that there possibly could be to know. From this internship, I realized that my code is visually unappealing. I learned how to write code more logically and systematically. I’ve also sharpened my critical thinking skills by thinking of the most efficient way to write my code before actually typing it out.” - Naina Kumar
“One of the most impactful insights I gained came from a casual conversation with some employees. I have a science background with some technical experience and was initially adamant about only innovating within the sciences. They explained that developing skills across diverse disciplines and diving deeply into those that resonate with me is actually an asset. This adaptability, they said, will be crucial for decades to come and will truly distinguish my work. I didn't expect such applicable advice, especially from a casual lunchtime conversation.” - Krish Mendapara
We’d love to hear how your experience at BenchSci has impacted your future aspirations.
I’ve always been interested in startups and technology, but the most important lesson I learned from BenchSci is the importance of feedback loops and building something valuable as a new startup. Working at BenchSci has given me a great example of a startup that found product market fit because it was so hyper-focused on its customers.” - Tehseen Daya
“This experience opened my eyes to the exciting world of biomedical innovation. Whether it's with a company like BenchSci, focused on accelerating scientific discovery, or a company developing physical medical solutions, I realized I could combine my passion for deep science with my desire for impactful and scalable work” - Krish Mendapara
When you reflect on the past seven weeks, is there a memorable moment or highlight from your experience?
“My highlight was my one-on-one with Liran [BenchSci’s CEO and co-founder]. I got to ask tons of questions about his experience in the early days of BenchSci, and he gave me great, targeted advice on how to build something great in the future.” -Tehseen Daya
We’re a remote-first company, can you share a little about what your experience has been like?
“The company culture at BenchSci creates a supportive and comfortable environment to learn and grow. I’m grateful for the mentorship I received throughout this internship, especially guidance when learning new skills and constant feedback and support when completing a task. I never felt that I was working alone or simply assigned to do something” - Naina Kumar
What advice would you give to other students interested in applying to an internship or placement like this?
“Companies hire interns mainly because they think the student has lots of future potential. Potential can be displayed by showing technical competence, hustle and motivation, creativity, or domain knowledge. If you can impress the person who makes hiring decisions in one of those areas, you set yourself apart in the internship race and have a much higher chance of getting that internship. So build unique projects, think of unconventional ways to get recruiters’ attention, and figure out how to show your deep domain knowledge.” - Tehseen Daya
We're proud of the work these students accomplished this summer and the growth they demonstrated. Their journey is a testament to the power of mentorship, hands-on experience, and a passion for learning.
At BenchSci, we believe that investing in the next generation of STEM talent is not only the right thing to do, but it's also essential for the future of our industry. We’re grateful for our partnership with TKS, which allows us to provide opportunities like this internship, empowering the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.
These students are a powerful reminder that the future of STEM is bright, diverse, and full of potential and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish.
