Jeffry Garcia

A 2022 Biotechnology graduate spent the week after ACC’s commencement at a summer immersion program that provided opportunities to learn about the pharmaceutical industry and a chance to network with industry professionals. Jeffry Garcia, 26, of Burlington traveled to Philadelphia, Pa. days after his graduation from ACC to take his place among 20 fellow college science majors in a nationally competitive program operated through the University of Delaware and the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). “This is a tremendous opportunity for a community college student like Jeffry to compete on a national level with students at four-year universities. We are extremely proud of his achievements,” said Michelle Saboun, Department Head of Biotechnology at ACC. Funded by an arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the workshop was geared toward minority college underclassmen and is an exclusive in-person, all expenses paid immersion program designed to introduce them to biopharmaceutical careers. Through hands-on learning and personal interactions, students had an opportunity to earn a deep understanding of how the industry and federal agencies work together to develop and manufacture life-saving medicines. Jeffry Garcia dropped out of high school, worked various jobs over the next few years, and eventually earned his GED. But he had always cultivated a great interest and talent for biology. He enrolled at ACC and completed the biotechnology degree program in one year. Garcia’s goals after graduating from ACC include working at Research Triangle Park in molecular biology.