{"id":51919,"date":"2025-05-01T09:02:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T14:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=51919"},"modified":"2025-05-01T09:02:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T14:02:26","slug":"science-startups-and-real-world-skills-sidneys-journey-through-accs-bioscience-incubator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/05\/01\/science-startups-and-real-world-skills-sidneys-journey-through-accs-bioscience-incubator\/","title":{"rendered":"Science, Startups, and Real-World Skills: Sidney\u2019s Journey through ACC\u2019s Bioscience Incubator"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

For Sidney, a 26-year-old biology major at Austin Community College District (ACC), the path to a science career has been anything but linear. Homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, they got their first taste of college life through ACC\u2019s dual credit program in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was an overachieving homeschooler who craved structure. ACC offered that structure,\u201d says Sidney. \u201cI chose to return to ACC rather than going somewhere else, because ACC feels like home. Stepping onto an ACC campus is stepping into a safe space of learning, care, and growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sidney\u2019s educational journey paused after high school as they navigated personal and health challenges. <\/p>\n

\u201cI took a four-year break from school. It was just supposed to be a year. In 2019, I developed an autoimmune disease that put my life on pause. COVID hit, and that didn’t help either. In 2022, I joined the International Nature Journaling community, which re-sparked my passion for science.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

With a renewed passion for science\u2014and improving health\u2014Sidney returned to ACC. That\u2019s when they discovered the ACC Bioscience Incubator (ABI), and everything clicked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed a job. I saw the ABI internship listing, and I knew it was for me. I was interested in the work, the people, and the mission. I could work in my field of interest and get the money I needed to build my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ACC Bioscience Incubator is a state-of-the-art lab facility located at ACC Highland. It serves as a launchpad for early-stage biotechnology startups, providing them with the lab space and tools they need to innovate. But it\u2019s also a powerful training ground for students.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always surprised how many people don\u2019t know it exists\u2014even people at Highland every day! But once they hear about it, they\u2019re amazed. It\u2019s one of the coolest things happening at ACC\u2014and I\u2019m so proud to have been a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through paid internships, ACC students\u2014regardless of major\u2014gain hands-on experience working alongside biotech professionals. Since 2016, ABI interns have logged 258 hours of lab experience and collectively earned $244,000, which translates to:<\/p>\n