Two 3M Internships Inspire One ACS Scholar

Ever since high school Alicia Cintora knew she wanted to be an inventor. As a promising chemistry student who needed help to cover tuition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, she was accepted in the ACS Scholars Program. The program allowed her to focus on coursework and opened up a network of opportunities for the materials science and engineering major, including two internships at 3M.

“The internships taught me how to think differently and work with different groups and different materials. You do real research and solve real problems,” notes Cintora, who particularly enjoyed the fast-paced environment and pressure to improve a product already on the market. She adds, “Everyone at 3M is really nice and smart. They were more than happy to sit down with me and explain how things work.”

The summer experiences at 3M reinforced her interest in academic research, which she will continue as a graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering program at Cornell University this fall. Describing her dream job, she says “I’d like to be either a professor or a scientist working at 3M because you collaborate with people from many different fields.” Her hard work and talent combined with the ACS Scholars Program and internships at 3M bring her one step closer to her goal.

Alicia Cintora is one of nearly 2,500 ACS Scholars who have been awarded mentoring, financial support and internship opportunities since the program’s inception in 1994. Scholarships range from $2,500 for freshmen to $5,000 for seniors. Donors may contribute all or part of a single scholarship; pledge a renewable scholarship; or sponsor several ACS Scholars.

ACS is designated as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 53-0196572.