Lawson State STEM Students Earn Competitive Internships

Lawson State STEM Students Earn Nearly $70,000 in Competitive Internships and Fellowships

Lawson State Community College STEM Scholars are making a powerful impact in 2026, securing 13 highly competitive internships and fellowships with a combined $69,750 in stipends.

Under the leadership of Dr. Shawanda Thomas, Lawson State students have earned placements in some of the nation's most respected research and workforce development programs, spanning biomedical research, aerospace engineering, data science, nanotechnology, computational research, and other areas of innovation.

"It is exceptionally rare for community college students to secure prestigious internships and fellowships at this stage in their academic journey, which makes these accomplishments even more significant," Dr. Thomas said.

"Our STEM Scholars program is intentionally designed to challenge students, expand their confidence, and push them to reach their highest potential. I am incredibly proud of the students who trusted the process, stepped outside of their comfort zones, and pursued opportunities on both regional and national levels."

"These internships and fellowships provide experiences, professional networks, and research exposure that give our students a tremendous advantage in STEM fields," Dr. Thomas added. "The impact of these opportunities will continue to open doors for them long after this year."

Many of the students were recognized at the college's recent White Coat Ceremony, an annual event celebrating the accomplishments of the 2025-26 STEM scholars as well as those who have participated in credible research experiences and disseminated their research at a conference or in a peer-reviewed publication.

STEM Students Land High-Impact Opportunities

A few of the standout internships and placements include:

• Ashleigh Green and Taylor Grace, who were selected for the federal HBCU/MI Summer Research Internship Program, each receiving $15,000 stipends, marking one of the highest-funded programs in the group.
• Aspiring physician JaMya Jackson, who earned a position in the U.S. Army HBCU-MI SPARK Internship Program, also with a $15,000 stipend, in addition to landing internships with the American Heart Association and UAB's Division of Cardiovascular Diseases.
• The Tuskegee University Materials Science undergraduate research experience, FuelAL Innovation Internship, the Alabama Aerospace Fellowship for College Students, the O'Neal Cancer Center Summer Research Training Program at UAB, the Computational Research Access Network (CRANE) and other programs, reflecting opportunities in traditional research and emerging technology.

Experiences Create Value - Now and Later

These opportunities represent academic excellence and versatility, and so much more, according to Dr. Thomas.

"The experiences they will have are bigger than stipends or financial support," she said. "What they will accomplish at their internships and assignments will prepare them for entry into some of our nation's most demanding STEM fields. The hands-on research, mentorship, industry exposure and networking will be priceless."