A Guest Speaker from Regeneron is Eye-Opening for BioMed Students

All 80 students enrolled in the award-winning Project Lead the Way BioMed program at Hendrick Hudson High School were treated to a guest speaker from Regeneron this week.

Jeremy Rabinowitz, Ph. D., spent an hour in the library with the students, talking about his career, his education and his work, and leading a discussion about refurbishing pacemakers. The topic, which was chosen by BioMed teacher Jeanine Hall, EdD, was the focus of an article in Science News Learning, and Hall selected it for the presentation because of how the topic connected to what her students had been learning in class.

“I really try to talk about how you are able to help people in the healthcare field without only becoming a physician or a nurse,” Hall said. “If you chose those paths, that’s fantastic, but you’re really able to help in so many ways. I thought this was such a great way to demonstrate that.”

Throughout his discussion, Rabinowitz received questions from students and posed a few of his own. He was able to connect with students and tie examples from his work into what they have learned in the classroom.

“We’re always learning things in the classroom, but seeing it in the real world gives you a new viewpoint on science,” said junior Jonna Rivera, a student in Human Body Systems. “It’s not just information we’re learning in school — it’s real experiments that he’s put years of his time into. You could tell he really cares about what he does.”

Hall had received an email from Regeneron in the fall that asked schools to apply to receive a guest speaker. She jumped at the opportunity, and Hendrick Hudson received approval from Regeneron, a large biotechnology company headquartered in Tarrytown.

Rabinowitz, an Assistant Director at Regeneron, discussed important skills that are necessary for a career in science, including the importance of collaboration.

“The students really enjoyed it,” Hall said. “They were able to make so many ties to the curriculum we’ve done, to things that maybe they’ve considered for their careers or college majors. It was wonderful the way he talked about different skills, especially collaboration. That’s something we really focus on here, developing collaboration and college and career readiness. For him to talk about that so much and reiterate what we do in here I think added another layer of authenticity for the kids.”