BTI Success Stories

At BTI, your success is our success.
Scroll down to explore stories of transformation and excellence—each a testament to the impact of our programs and trainings.

A Journey Worth Reading:

Paris

Paris
Manufacturing Associate
PathSensors
Graduated 2018

Paris, a single, 19-year old mother, completed the BioSTART to Lab Associates Training in 2018 along with an internship at PathSensors, a leading biotechnology and environmental testing company. During her internship, BTI received reports that Paris remained focused, showed initiative, was eager to learn and was a true team player.

Near the end of her internship, she let the CEO know that she wanted to stay on with the company permanently. He was thrilled, and he coached her on how to negotiate her first employment contract. The company offered her $14.00 per hour plus full benefits. After a four-month temporary contract, Paris was then promoted as a permanent hire as a Manufacturing Lab Technician.

In her new role, she supervises interns and new staff members. As noted by the human resources manager, “Paris is extremely energetic and brings such positive energy to the workplace for the entire team.”

Paris attributes her success to BTI’s training, support and guidance. Paris has met her personal goals and is launching a career with a life full of potential, financial stability and economic mobility.

A Journey Worth Reading:

Julia

Julia
Lab Assistant
Catalent
Graduated 2019

Julia, a 28-year old single mother, showed a positive attitude, dedication and commitment to BTI’s program and her future career development despite her personal challenges. During training, she lost her father to a prolonged illness. The next day, her twin brother passed away from an epileptic seizure. BTI worked with her to make up the necessary assignments, lectures and labs she missed. Upon her return, she remained enthusiastic and optimistic.

It was this resilience, her positive outlook and her excitement for potential opportunities that won over Catalent’s Director of Talent Acquisition. Julia began working at Catalent on July 8, 2019 as a Lab Assistant, increasing her salary by 31 percent. Feedback from Catalent was, “It was Julia’s passion and enthusiasm in addition to her experience from BTI that secured her the role.”

A Journey Worth Reading:

Arnique

Arnique
Laboratory Technician
Pathology Department
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Graduated 2018

Arnique experienced BTI in 2005 and 2006 as a high school student attending the Summer BioWorks Program, designed to introduce rising juniors and seniors to careers in the life sciences. When Arnique graduated from high school, she pursued opportunities in retail management, but never felt that this career path was a good fit. She realized that she always loved the sciences and decided to apply for BTI’s BioSTART to Lab Associates Program.

As she explains, “I came full circle with the sciences. BTI’s program has been an amazing experience. My internship at Johns Hopkins has led to my career position at Hopkins in which I am excelling in and using all the skills I learned at BTI. In fact, our lab members (the post-docs and research techs) are very impressed with the knowledge I gained from the BTI Program.”

Testimonials

  • “This workshop was so well done.  All the information was clearly laid out and presented with openings for any and all questions.  The instructor was very knowledgeable and patient, making sure we all had a good grasp on the fundamental information and techniques. I hope that I will be able to attend other workshops here in the future and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to learn a new technique or explore a new area.”

    – Ivy C., Cell Culture Workshop

  • “This course has become a ‘gold standard’ for new hires coming through the Johns Hopkins GRCF Core Facility!”

    – Melissa Olson, Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

  • “I had not done cell culture in almost 30 years- not only did the workshop refresh my memory, but in 4 days I caught up all that I missed in those years. Now, I am ready to launch my cell culture lab!”

    – Cheryl B., Louisiana State University, Alexandria, Cell Culture Workshop

  • “Thank you so much for providing such a great hands-on workshop.  It has been over 12 years since I have participated in Cell Culture and after this course I feel 100% confident in my ability to bring these techniques back to LSUA.”

    – Susan B., Louisiana State University, Alexandria Cell Culture Workshop

  • “The cell culture workshop was very professional and taught a full semester’s worth of material in a week’s time. The labs were up-to-date and presented real-world work activities. This was an excellent course full of information to be shared with my co-workers and students.”

    – Dr. Sandol Johnson, Head, Animal Science Department, Oklahoma Panhandle State University

  • “This training/workshop has been excellent! It has equipped me with hands-on skills of performing PCR experiments and enabling my understanding of optimization not only of PCR but also of other projects in the lab. Overall, I congratulate the efforts of Dr Timothy Fawcett, who has maximized his time to educate us on the most essential aspects of PCR! I am more knowledgeable, better skilled and highly motivated to utilize this skill in my future work. Thank you.”

    – Faith Z., North Carolina A and T State University, Polymerase Chain Reaction Workshop

  • “I feel more confident to carry out any protocol in molecular biology experiments. Now, I know how to increase the efficiency of my experimental results. Dr. Fawcett is knowledgeable in the subject matter and you learn the techniques from someone who is an expert and well-experienced.”

    – Sumardi Bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Education Officer, Brunei Darussalam

  • “The workshop was excellent. It did a great job of teaching the essentials of cell culture. With this workshop, I feel comfortable going back to my lab and starting cell work. On top of a great educational experience, the staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Overall I highly recommend BTI.”

    – Melissa S., University of Nevada, Las Vegas

  • “This workshop was very interesting but challenging in a good way. Really helps you to think critically. I learned new techniques, experiments, and theory. Dr. Fawcett is very helpful and knowledgeable. He answered all questions clearly,  I really enjoyed the workshop.”

    – Angela B., Quest Diagnostics, Cell Culture Workshop

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