Alumna receives full-time position through an internship

Internships expose students to practical skills and experiences and open their eyes to new opportunities. Sometimes, even, internships lead directly to a full-time position, as is the case for Billie Brown (’19).

“I am so grateful that [my program] has a required internship,” Brown remarked. “The connections of the school and alumni have helped many seniors get their foot in the door and make a true difference in the world.”

After Brown graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) in 2019, she accepted an internship during her senior year at Campbell with CMP Pharma in Farmville, NC and worked with the product development department. This company, not coincidentally, was started by Campbell alumnus Henry Smith (’67). CMP Pharma has hosted many Campbell interns throughout the years, including Brown.

During her internship, Brown’s main task was to apply her knowledge from classes at Campbell to assist in the development of a new product. She also worked on reformulating an existing product for CMP Pharma. Her analytical instrumentation class along with the interpersonal and writing skills she obtained in her classes proved very useful in her tasks.

The product that she worked on during her internship is currently undergoing a bioequivalence study; this ensures that a drug interacts with the body in the same way as other products containing the same active ingredient. She formulated and tested this product in the research lab, and it could very soon be approved by the FDA.

Brown worked hard over the course of her internship, and it paid off. Upon graduation, the company offered her a full-time job as an associate chemist. “I am happy to state that I am still an employee with the product and development group,” Brown shared. As an associate chemist, Brown works on potential drug products from the development phase all the way through registration and filing with the FDA.

Brown understand the importance of internships, saying, “Without [internships], I do not think I would have ever heard of a small pharmaceutical company like CMP Pharma. Now, I could not imagine myself wanting to work anywhere else.”

For Brown, the internship cycle came full circle, as she has now hosted an intern from Campbell’s BSPS program. After being an intern herself, she believes it is important to allow others to share that experience. “Internships allow students to apply their knowledge, develop new skills, and form deep professional connections within their career path. Internships bridge the gap from academia to industry.”

At Campbell faculty and staff seek to connect students with internship opportunities, like Brown’s, to help students develop professionally and ultimately find employment. CamelLink is an online platform created by the Office of Alumni Engagement to help Campbell alumni create meaningful connections with students as well as other alumni to form mentor-mentee relationships. If you have an internship opportunity to share or would like to connect with current students and alumni, join CamelLink at mentor.campbell.edu.