Savannah Szalanski has a knack for making the most of every opportunity in front of her.
A biology major with a health sciences emphasis at Lakeland University, Szalanski has packed her undergraduate years with research, leadership, service, and sport. This past summer, that preparation paid off in a big way: she was selected for the Mayo Clinic's Summer Lab Science Program in Rochester, Minnesota, earning one of just 40 spots from a pool of more than 400 applicants.
Slated to graduate in 2026, Szalanski is on a clear trajectory toward becoming a Medical Laboratory Scientist, and her time at Mayo Clinic brought her one step closer to that goal.
The Mayo Clinic internship wasn't a ceremonial experience. Szalanski spent much of the summer working in the clinic's metals lab, where she and a colleague prepared kidney stone samples for further study. On any given day, they processed between 70 and 180 samples.
The work required precision, consistency, and the ability to perform under the pressure of high volume and high stakes.
Landing that opportunity didn't happen by accident. The summer before her Mayo Clinic internship, Szalanski worked as a summer research assistant at Lakeland University, an opportunity that helped her build the technical foundation she needed.
"At Lakeland University, I was given the skills to thrive in an internship like Mayo," she says. "In this research role, I learned how to use laboratory equipment, creating an understanding of safety procedures and protocols."
That experience also sharpened her soft skills. "Working with another student during this time helped me hone in on responsibility, accountability, and communication," she says.
Szalanski's path to the lab wasn't a straight line. As a freshman, she came to college with ambitions of attending medical school. Her first science faculty advisor challenged that assumption.
It was hard to hear. But it opened a door she might not have found otherwise.
"My first science faculty advisor told me that my dream of going to medical school might not be the best fit for me," she says. "As a freshman, this was some of the hardest news to take, but without that advisor and my advisors after, I'm not sure I would have ever found my future career path in the laboratory setting that I have come to love."
That willingness to stay open to redirection is a leadership quality itself. Szalanski absorbed the feedback, leaned into the guidance of those around her, and found her way to work she genuinely loves.
It's also advice that mirrors the leadership philosophy she now holds: "Take every opportunity to hear what others might have to offer."
When Szalanski reflects on the leader who has most shaped her thinking, she looks back to a trailblazer: Madame Curie.
"She changed the foundation and path for women in science," Szalanski says. "I have always loved science and math. With that, I have always been inspired by Madame Curie's strong will and leadership."
Curie's example resonates not just as a scientific achievement, but as a statement about persistence in spaces that weren't always welcoming. For Szalanski, that legacy is both motivating and instructive as she builds her own career in the sciences.
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At Lakeland, Szalanski's involvement spanned well beyond her coursework and research.
She served as a senior resident assistant and president of the Student Government Association. She was also a member of the Biology Club, Rotaract, the Global Student Association, the Garden Club, and Pawsitism, a nonprofit dedicated to training autism assistance service dogs for children with autism. A former two-sport athlete at Watertown High School, she was also recruited to Lakeland's women's golf team and competed for two seasons before shifting gears to focus in on the lab.
That breadth of involvement reflects how Szalanski thinks about leadership: not as a role, but as a way of showing up and being a part of something with others.
"Leadership is being committed to something bigger than yourself and allowing others' ideas to permeate your own and create something that fits everyone," she says. "Leadership shows knowledge and skills to help others succeed, not telling others what to do."
The NSLS has been part of shaping that perspective. "The NSLS has given me knowledge and connections to create a brighter future for myself and my chapter," she says.
After graduating from Lakeland this year, Szalanski will attend Marquette University to pursue her Medical Laboratory Science Certification, continuing her education through a combination of lectures and clinical work. Her goal of becoming a medical laboratory scientist is already taking shape in concrete ways, from the research labs at Lakeland to the metals lab at Mayo, and soon, the clinical training at Marquette.
Szalanski's advice draws from both her athletic background and her experience navigating the sciences, with an emphasis on teamwork.
"Take every opportunity to hear what others might have to offer," she says. "Some of the best leaders let others take control and support their team."
It's a lesson she has lived, from taking direction from research mentors to receiving career-altering feedback from a faculty advisor.
For Szalanski, great leadership doesn't start with having all the answers. It starts with being genuinely willing to listen.
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