My name is Alex and I am a 4th year Biomedical Engineering student from the University of Glasgow. Being an international student from Mauritius, a summer internship in the UK felt out of reach, until I discovered the Saltire Scholars programme. Not only was I able to complete a 10-week internship, but it was with GSK, a globally recognised biopharmaceutical company. This was an experience that has been nothing short of transformative.
I can still remember getting the phone call from Kelly, delivering me the good news that I had gotten the role. To be perfectly honest, I was still unsure at the time, as the internship was in Montrose, which meant that I had to relocate from Glasgow for the summer. But Kelly and the Saltire team were able to convince me to push outside my comfort zone and go for it. I can now firmly say that it was the best decision I made prior to this summer.
At GSK Montrose, I was the Process Digitisation Lead intern and I got to lead my own project, which was to improve the traceability of tamper-evident seals used to seal batches of API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) across the site. In the end, I successfully developed a digital tool to solve the problem and was even able to present my solution to the Site Leadership team, right up to the Site Director.
I think the best part of the internship, personally, has been to be able to connect with the Saltire Scholars alumni who have previously interned at GSK and have returned as full-time employees, all thanks to the programme. Starting with our amazing Saltire hosts, Danielle and Steph, having them as mentors has truly made this experience unforgettable. It was so insightful to chat to them and be inspired by how they were able to make a career at GSK from being a Saltire intern. They made us feel so welcomed, as they knew how we felt, having been in our shoes before.
Aside from my project, I used this opportunity to branch out and connect with other employees, Montrose or worldwide in areas of the business I was interested in. It’s not every day that leaders of a company with over 20 years of experience or someone from a network of over 70k people are only a Teams message away. This has been invaluable and has given me more of an idea of where I want to take my career moving forward. Looking back, I have grown a lot both personally and professionally. My main takeaway from this internship: Never be afraid to ask, the worst that can happen is a ‘No’.
I was fortunate enough to be part of a cohort of interns, which made this experience even better. From afternoon runs to exploring towns around, we made the most of our time at Montrose. We had each other’s backs from the start, and it was good to have the constant peer support. This summer would not have been the same without them!
Finally, if you are a penultimate/final year Scottish university student this year, please consider applying to the Saltire Scholars Programme. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
