Milken Scholars’ Summer Internship at the Prostate Cancer Foundation
Published 09/03/2025 in Program Updates
Written
09/03/2025
This summer, four talented Milken Scholars were invited to intern with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing prostate cancer research. The group included Charlry Kamara, MS ‘24, Jun Woo Shin, MS ‘23, Camilla Martinez, MS ‘22, and Katelyn Sulett, MS ‘20. Their activities included analyzing funding applications and developing patient care materials, as they learned how the work of nonprofits impacts medicine, broadening their perspectives on what their future careers in healthcare could entail.
One of our Scholars’ tasks was to review over 100 research applications for PCF’s Young Investigator Award, which grants $75,000 annually for 3 years to scientists committed to prostate cancer research. After carefully considering each applicants’ submission, Scholars worked with PCF leadership to select the top applicants. Scholars also developed educational materials for patients and strategically included details about the effects of treatment while also sharing hope through patient survival stories. Camilla said, “Information without actionable steps could overwhelm or leave people feeling helpless,” so she focused on writing with accessibility, clarity, and empowerment in mind.
During their internship, Scholars saw how vital organizations like PCF are in turning research into reality. While Katelyn was an undergrad at Caltech, she gained extensive research experience, so it was new for her to see how funding reaches labs. At PCF, she created donor reports and data visualizations that translated scientific findings into accessible language for non-scientists. She explained, “Communicating these same findings to donors often means communicating potential future outcomes that tend to be implicitly recognized by those in academia.”
Jun, a Scholar considering medical school, took full advantage of the opportunities to get advice from PCF colleagues and said, “Not only do you get to talk to people who have PhDs in science, but also you get to learn from those that have MDs but end up pivoting away from practicing.” This insight into medicine and research will continue to influence his approach to the medical field. 
After completing her time at PCF, Charlry, who is considering nursing, and recently completed her first year of college shared that, ““The Milken Scholars Program encourages you to challenge yourself and be open to new avenues even if they don’t directly align with your career pathway. There is a beauty in that because you stand to gain meaningful relationships and professional mentorship that can last a lifetime.”
Throughout their time at PCF, Scholars gained a well-rounded perspective on the nonprofit healthcare world, bridging the gap between science, patient care, and funding. The Milken Scholars Program extends a sincere thank you to PCF for their partnership in providing Scholars with this opportunity.
