WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College will hold an information session March 2 to share details on the Mayne Pharma Scholars Program with current college students and Pitt County high school seniors.
The session, which is open to students’ parents and family members as well, will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Walter & Marie Williams Building’s Joyner Auditorium. Dinner from Chick-fil-A will be provided to attendees.
The Mayne Pharma Scholars Program (MPSP) was established last year through a partnership between PCC, Mayne Pharma, Pitt County Schools, and the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce. It is designed to guide high-potential, STEM-focused students toward pharmaceutical careers, particularly with Mayne Pharma.
To be considered for MPSP participation, students must submit a PCC scholarship application by April 1, along with high school and/or college transcripts and Career Readiness Certificate (or ACT) scores. Fifteen applicants will be chosen as semifinalists and invited to interview and submit a letter of recommendation from one of their teachers.
At the conclusion of the selection process, eight students will receive scholarships from Mayne Pharma that cover tuition, fees and books (up to $8,000 per student) to attend PCC five consecutive semesters for an associate degree in biotechnology.
PCC Biotechnology Department Chair Christy Weeks said Pitt recently added new pharma-focused courses to its biotechnology curriculum based on feedback the college received from local pharmaceutical employers.
“By collaborating with local pharmaceutical industries, we can be certain our biotechnology students are becoming skilled at laboratory methods they’ll need to master in order to be effective quality control lab analysts,” Weeks said. “The Mayne Pharma Scholars Program is verification that PCC is producing quality biotechnology graduates ready for work in the local pharma industry.”
In addition to scholarships, MPMS participants can take part in a paid, full-time internship at Mayne Pharma during the summer between their first and second year of college. They can also participate in a part-time, paid internship during their second year of school.
“So far, the Mayne Pharma Scholars program has been very successful,” Weeks said. “We have one student who has already graduated and is currently loving her new career as a full-time Mayne Pharma employee.
“We have another student who has already begun her internship this semester and is really enjoying it,” she continued. “And the remaining five scholars from the original group of seven will begin their internships this summer.”
For more details on PCC’s biotechnology curriculum and next month’s information session, contact Weeks at (252) 493-7861 or cweeks@email.pittcc.edu.
02/18/2020