Arjun Bhamra ‘22
The Germination Project (GP) has been a hot topic in the sophomore class as many students have recently been gathering recommendations and writing essays in order to apply for it. However, many people in the community are unfamiliar with what the program really achieves and the qualifications necessary to get in
Photo courtesy of the EA Communications Department
Nik Walling ‘22, GP fellow, explains that the application process “consists of a personal essay that you write, and to my knowledge, there’s not a strict word requirement on that. After that personal essay, if you pass that first round, you get called up for an interview, and you’ll be interviewed by a panel of people, including some past fellows and some higher-ups from the Germination Project.” Along with the essay, “giving your all in school and taking academically challenging classes is important to GP. It’s also about your potential for leadership qualities.”
While the essay is challenging because of its more introspective nature, Walling adds that “the interviewers are infamous for trying to throw you off during the interview; it has that reputation. I think if you look at it knowing that you’re going to be uncomfortable with something that comes up, just know how to be confident in your answers and stick with your gut on that, it will definitely help in the future.”
As Mary Cipperman ‘21, GP fellow, notes, each GP fellowship class works on an introductory project at the Penn Bootcamp, which she describes as GP’s “hallmark program where students learn about business, leadership, development from experts in the field before presenting their research about a given topic.” Topics have varied considerably, but all center around civic service in some way. Nikhil Kakarla ‘20, another GP fellow, adds that “it was very impactful. I learned a lot from the boot camp as well as met a ton of great adults and peers that formed an incredibly strong community early in life.”
Cipperman’s Bootcamp project was to conduct research and write investigative pieces regarding important civic life issues in Philadelphia, such as gentrification, education, and immigration. Cipperman explains, “My group worked with education, and we talked about the pitfalls of standardized education. What was cool was that we got to present our findings to Roxanne Shepelavy, a Chief Editor at the Philadelphia Citizen.”
Other projects have included research in the medical field. For his GP fellowship class, Noah Rossin ‘23 explains that they “spent two months researching the newest advancements in biotech, cancer treatment, and immunology. We used this info to make a 45 minute long presentation, pitching a mock one-billion-dollar biotech fund to the strategic development board of Penn Medicine. The judges – GP executives, Penn Medicine staff, and venture capitalists – will choose the best presentation to be given to the board itself for the upcoming fiscal year.”
Walling’s project with the GP Class of ‘20 was about “diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That was a really deep project that I got a lot out of. The cool thing is that you actually get to present it to museum faculty, so you feel like you’re making a difference there.”
In addition to the Bootcamp project and week of seminars, Germination also has a lot of other networking and service opportunities that fellows can take advantage of, especially later on in the lifelong fellowship. Mary mentioned that through GP’s networking opportunities, she “interned with the Pam and Ajay Raju foundation, learned about website development, worked with a mask delivery program, and went on 6 ABC for an interview. Other fellows have also used GP to get internships at Penn Medicine as well.”
In a similar vein, Walling and other GP fellows of his class “worked on tutoring with Squash Smarts in Philadelphia. That had more of a day to day thing during the summer because I would be helping out being a teaching assistant in classes or making tutoring videos or whatever that may be.”
Whatever the Bootcamp program or external opportunity, the Germination Project is a lifelong fellowship that changes the perspectives of its fellows. As Kakarla emphasizes, “It has been an awesome experience that I feel I benefited from immensely. I am thankful for the relationships I have formed and skills I have gained from GP.”
The fellowship class of 2022 will be announced in the late spring. EA’s current freshmen are encouraged to apply next year, as applications will open mid-January. For more information on the Germination Project, visit their website at https://germinationproject.com.