Studying in Denmark, Interning in the US

Hands-on learning, global opportunities and strong support from Absalon and Novo Nordisk

Raquel Estevez did her internship at Novo Nordisk in US

Raquel Estevez, a third-year student at University College Absalon studying the Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology, shared a little about her experience being an international student at Absalon and going to the United States for her internship.

A move inspired by her mother – and confirmed by experience

Raquel, who is originally from Galicia, Spain, moved to Kalundborg three years ago to pursue her education at Absalon in Denmark.

My mother had encouraged me for years to explore educational opportunities in Denmark because of its outstanding educational institutions, respect for students and the bountiful opportunities to work while studying. She was right on all accounts...as moms usually are.
Raquel Estevez
Student at the Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology

Raquel share that she "loves the study environment and I love the way they teach. I feel like they are so close to the students, and they truly worry about you."

Although ‘completely different’ from her home country in every way, Raquel has adapted to Denmark and now loves it. The differences do not overwhelm her but bring her great excitement!

A rewarding academic path and a dream internship

Not only has Raquel loved her educational experience, but she has greatly valued the opportunity to work in the biotech industry while studying. The rewarding educational experience paved the way for Raquel to seize the opportunity of an internship. 

Raquel and one other classmate are participating in an internship at Novo Nordisk’s Active Pharmaceutical Manufacturing facility in North Carolina in the United States.

From matchmaking to a new country

Internships are a requirement as part of all programmes at Absalon. Raquel found the Novo Nordisk U.S. internship through the annual ‘matchmaking’ event held by the school. After ‘matching’ with Novo Nordisk, she began the process of moving abroad once again!

The transition was a bit scary at first, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. Even though that was the case, as soon as I landed in the United States, I was ready to take on the new challenge. The process has been made easy by the support from both Absalon and Novo Nordisk.
Raquel Estevez
Student at the Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology

Working with automation and applying her skills

In the United States, Raquel has been working on the Automation team, helping to build fully automated dashboards that create data visualization for teams across the facility. 

"The work has been really nice, and the team treats me really nicely, and they’ve been very helpful. I’ve been able to challenge myself and design new tools. I’ve been enjoying it a lot," Raquel states.

Although Automation is not her precise area of education the work has allowed her to gain an overview of the entire manufacturing process. Thus requiring her to utilize her education to understand it, which in turn helps her create robust, helpful tools for the Automation department.

A future in biotech – and encouragement to others

Raquel will return from the United States later this year and once she graduates from her bachelors at Absalon, she will look into a master’s degree while still working. All with the ultimate goal of working professionally in the biotech industry. The vast opportunities for careers in the Biotech City in Kalundborg are not lost on her.

As for advice, Raquel made it very clear that international students who may be scared to move shouldn’t fear because Absalon is an incredible place for international students.

I am surrounded by support, and the class is full of internationals. There are a lot of people you can share your struggles with and have like common things even if your culture is different. I always had this sense of security, and Absalon helped a lot with that
Raquel Estevez
Student, Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology

To sum it up, she encourages everyone to take the leap and try new things!

Education and industry – a strong connection

The close-connected partnership between industry and education in Kalundborg continues to prove integral to student development and industry talent pipelines!