Putting in the Work

Whether he is in a lab researching cancer, on the field being a team player, or taking a stand against racial injustice, Trevor Frederick ’22 can be found dedicating himself to his work, making sure it is the best it can be.

 

When Trevor was accepted as an intern at University of California San Francisco in 2020, he had no idea it would be another year until he made the trip to sunny California. In his role as a visiting undergraduate, Trevor works alongside WC alum Dr. Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu ’71 in the Department of Orofacial Sciences conducting research directly relevant to cancer therapy. Alumni Brynn Brouse ’18 and Jason Mercando ’17 participated in the internship in the summer of 2017.

“I am participating in a research project looking at the use of ASOs (antisense oligonucleotides) and the treatment of head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma), running Western Blot analysis, qRT-PCR, RNA extraction and purification, and tissue culture,” he explained. 

Landing an internship at a top research university took a lot of planning and preparation. Trevor began working with the Center for Career Development his sophomore year.

“The career center has been a huge help. The Executive Director of Career Development was extremely supportive of me. I went into the career center for the first time my sophomore year with no resume or any idea of how to do any of it. I now have a very good handle on resumes and cover letters and am participating in an amazing internship,” he shared. “This internship is a great way for me to grow as a scientist and a person, as well as help me narrow down my research interests before heading into a Ph.D. program.” 

While Trevor’s plan is to pursue a Ph.D. and conduct clinical research for the government or a biotech company, that wasn’t always the case. As an outdoors enthusiast he once considered majoring in environmental science or biology. After a few introductory biology courses, he discovered an interest in biomedical research and enrolled in courses geared toward molecular biology. When the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major was approved he realized that major was his perfect fit. 

“Especially in my major, you can spend an entire semester learning about things you can’t see with the naked eye. I think the department does a really good job of bringing some of these abstract concepts to life which allows more visual learners like me to grasp and apply these concepts.”

Trevor places the same care and preparation into everything he does, including balancing his academics and athletics—he made the Baseball Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll twice. 

“The faculty and staff have been extremely supportive of me during my time at WC. My advisor Dr. Reynolds is extremely helpful, making sure I am taking the right classes and helping me work with my baseball schedule to enhance my academic and athletic experience. Coach Beddick also is extremely supportive of me. It can be really tough as a science major and an athlete, because there is so much extra time required with labs and course mentoring sessions. Coach Beddick always encourages me to put academics first and help me manage my schedule the best I can,” he said.

“I don’t think I can point to any one specific person on this campus that has shaped my career, I think it is a collection of people. That is what makes WC so special. There are not just one or two people that are committed to helping you, everybody is as long as you are willing to work.”