The Pinhead Internship

Click Here for the 2025 Intern Application

The internship application deadline is 5pm MDT on Friday, Nov 22th 2024.

Your 3 letters of recommendation should come from:
1) Your high school counselor (or principal if counselor is unavailable)
2) A STEM teacher in your school (biology, physics, math, etc….but NOT english)
3) An unrelated grown up who is outside of school and knows you well (coach, pastor, boss, etc.)

Each recommender should email their letter directly to sarah@pinheadinstitute.org. The file and subject line of the email should include your first and last name and LOR, for example, “Sarah Holbrooke LOR”. Volunteering with Pinhead is strongly encouraged BEFORE you apply for an internship. You can register here to become a Pinhead volunteer. Juniors who plan to apply for a 2025 internship MUST have attended the Pintern Presentations in Telluride or have been in touch with Sarah with an accepted excuse.

THE PINHEAD INTERNSHIP
ARE YOU MEANT FOR SOMETHING MORE?

Founded in 2003, the Pinhead Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in various scientific fields of study, including (but not limited to) neuroscience, physics, conservation, chemistry, biology, and much more. Pinhead internships provide experience and opportunities for students to work with people who have dedicated their lives to academic pursuits about which they are passionate. This program affords high school students from Cortez, Dolores, Montrose, Olathe, Norwood, Nucla, Paradox, Ouray, Ridgway, and Telluride opportunities not available in our region, and it often is a life changing experience.

You can read our Frequently Asked Application Questions here

2024 Pinterns

Alma Bielenberg
Sidwell Friends School
FENS Project with Telluride Institute

Andrew Kistler
Montrose High School
Aerospace Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

Ava Silverberg
Montrose High School
Entomology and Biology, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Bjorn Cristol
Telluride High School
Environmental Engineering, University of Utah

Cadence Shaw
Norwood High School
Digital Photography, Private Placement

Catcher Latta
Ouray High School
Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center

Emma Galleger
Telluride High School
Marine Biology, UCSB

Garrett Shelley
Montrose Peak Virtual Academy
Computer Science and Game Design, Arizona State University

Ian Snapp
Ridgway Secondary School
Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute

Jerry Sharpe
Telluride High School
Biology of Aging, Brown University

Joseph Montonati
Montrose High School
Chemistry, University of Houston

Katie Pumayalli
Telluride High School
Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute

Kaylynn Quinonez
Montezuma-Cortez High School
Marine Biology, Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Liam Intemann
Telluride High School
Aerospace Engineering, LASP

Lucas Meridith
Telluride High School
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Procurement Sciences AI and TWIG/Telluride Institute

Luka Remec
Telluride High School
Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute

Maddison Coca
Montrose High School
Chemistry, University of Houston

Merrilee Gallagher
Nucla High School
Equine Veterinary Science, Outlaw Equine Hospital and Rehab Center

Mikah Wareham
Norwood High School
Equine Veterinary Science, Outlaw Equine Hospital and Rehab Center

Paige Sharp
Montrose/Laurel Springs Online School
Rodham Institute

Patrick Minnehan
Telluride High School
Astrophysics, LASP

Philip Brooks
Telluride High School
Neuroscience, UCSD GEORGE LAB

Reeve Johnson
Telluride/St. Andrews
AI and Machine Learning, Private Placement

Samantha Abate
Dolores High School
Marine Biology, UCSB

Siena Parr
Dolores High School
Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IF I DIDN’T ATTEND PRESENTATION NIGHT OR HAVE AN EXCUSED ABSENCE?
You are ineligible to apply.

WHEN IS MY APPLICATION DUE?
Your application for the 2025 Pinhead Internship program should be submitted by 5pm on Friday, November 22, 2024. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

WHAT IF I CANNOT FILL IN THE APPLICATION ON LINE?
Print out the first two pages and fill them out by hand. Type your letter of intent and your resume. Scan and email them all together if possible. Please save your file with your first name, last name, and what the file is. For example, an application from Sarah Holbrooke would be saved as “Sarah Holbrooke Application”. A photo would read “Sarah Holbrooke Photo”. Save your files as PDFs if possible.

FROM WHOM SHOULD I GET LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR)?
One letter from your high school counselor (or principal only if counselor is unavailable), one from a STEM teacher in your school, and one from an unrelated grown up who is outside of school and knows you well. Each recommender should email their letter directly to sarah@pinheadinstitute.org. The file should include your name, for example, “Sarah Holbrooke LOR”.

WHEN ARE THE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR) DUE?
While we would like to have all the LORs by November 22th, we understand that many teachers are busy writing letters for colleges and that should be their priority. As long as we have all your LORs in by Nov 29th we are fine!

HOW DO I GET MY TRANSCRIPT TO YOU?
Ask your school administrator or principal to email sarah@pinheadinstitute.org with your transcript.

WHEN DO I HEAR BACK?
Pinhead will be in touch with each applicant in early December to set up interviews during the first two weeks of December.

WHAT ARE THE INTERVIEWS LIKE?
A panel of three Pinhead staff and advisors will spend about 20 minutes with each student, talking about their interests and abilities.

HOW ARE PINTERNS CHOSEN?
We have many criteria, ranging from grades to recommendations to previous involvement with Pinhead. Our panel rates each student, and decides together which will be admitted to the 2025 Pintern class. We will inform all applicants of our decision by the first week in January.

HOW MUCH DOES THE INTERNSHIP COST?
The internship is free to participate, and we have a stipend of up to $1000 for travel and some food costs for those who need it. You and your family are responsible for any additional costs. In return, we expect all accepted Pinterns to volunteer ample time to Pinhead, and for their families to donate time as well as to make a financial contribution to the best of each family’s ability.

 

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