When she began as a freshman at Le Moyne, Bailey Wolanski ’24 was looking for a way to connect with other women in STEM. “I wanted someone who was a couple years ahead of me to explain how they got to where they were,” she says.
What Wolanski, a mathematics major with a concentration in actuarial science, would soon discover was Le Moyne’s Stempower program, a four-year experience designed to support women in STEM majors at Le Moyne through mentorship and professional development opportunities. She dove headfirst into the program as a mentee, and it was through Stempower that she first heard about an internship opportunity at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in pharmacy data analytics.
With her background working as a pharmacy technician for the past four years and her mathematics focus, the position seemed like a natural fit for Wolanski. “I wanted to find an internship where I could use math but also apply it to the medical field,” she says.
Throughout the course of her internship, Wolanski attended workshops and networking events, learned how to use two new data management systems, shadowed professionals in the field, and learned more about the field of data analytics. In particular, she worked on a project analyzing the cost of an Excellus member just beginning to take CGRP medication, commonly used for migraines, versus after the member was taking a CGRP medication for a while to see how the cost of other migraine drugs was affected. “I thought this internship was a great way to actually test what I’ve been learning and to apply it to real-life situations,” says Wolanski.
With her summer internship extended into the fall semester, she has found herself gaining valuable communication and networking skills. She also has found the value in stepping outside her comfort zone. “I was nervous going into it. I hadn’t taken a data analytics class, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they really helped me every step of the way,” she says. “If you’re willing to learn and you’re willing to put in the effort, you’re going to get out of it what you put in. A lot of it is just being willing to take that extra step.”
This story is part of a series focused on Le Moyne students who have recently completed dynamic internships. It reflects the College's commitment to providing our students with as many opportunities as possible to put the skills they've learned in the classroom to work, to explore possible career paths, and to build strong professional networks. For more information about internship opportunities, contact the Office of Career Advising and Development. Students are encouraged to attend the College's Career Fair from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, in the College's Recreation Center.