Name: Felicity Wheatley; Institution: University of Illinois, Chicago; Program: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) & Community College Internship (CCI) Programs; Education Level: Undergraduate Student
December 10, 2024
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From the time she was a high school student in Chicago to her internships at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Felicity Wheatley has followed three career guideposts: Work, Learn, Grow.
Wheatley credits her community college advisor for alerting her to the DOE Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) internships programs. At the time, in late 2022, Wheatley was pursuing an associate’s degree in biology at Malcom X College in Chicago. Also at the time, she was in the midst of a biology internship at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
"It was amazing to see what these people could do. They are so capable. I felt like I am so small, but these people are so big. But it’s the people I worked with who taught me that they had to start somewhere, too."
- Felicity Wheatley, SULI and CCI participant
Wheatley, a lifelong Illinois resident, also was intrigued with the idea of living and working in California during a 10-week internship. So, she directed her Community College Internships (CCI) application toward SLAC, located in Menlo Park, California. She was selected and assigned to projects involving SLAC’s legendary 2-mile-long particle accelerator as well as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), an instrument that takes X-ray snapshots of atoms and molecules. The experience offered Wheatley—whose education has focused on biology—a first-hand and first-time introduction to physics.
The strong connections Wheatley formed during the internship motivated her to apply again to work at SLAC. This time she applied through the WDTS Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program. Her work assignment this time had a direct connection to her future career goals.
Later that year, Wheatley enrolled at the University of Illinois-Chicago, pursuing an undergraduate degree in biology. Post graduation, she plans to enroll in medical school, envisioning a career as dermatologist.