Florida Tech Student Earns Internship in Germany
MELBOURNE, FLA.—Gilbert Castillo, a Florida Institute of Technology senior majoring in chemical engineering, was chosen to participate in the year-long Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a study and work fellowship in Germany. He was one of 75 selected from more than 500 applicants and will begin the experience this coming fall.
While in Germany, Castillo, a Washington, D.C. native, will have the opportunity to gain cultural and practical work experience. He will attend a two-month course learning the German language, a four-month study at a German university or professional school and a five-month internship with a German company in his career field .
Castillo, who is graduating in May, currently works in the Florida Tech Department of Chemistry where he is examining the potential of the antibiotic tryptanthrin in treating malaria. He is a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, Phi Eta Sigma national honor society, American Chemical Society Student Affiliates, and is president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter. He plans to enter a doctoral degree program in chemical engineering to pursue research and development in the pharmaceuticals field.
Castillo was recently featured as the “Scholar of the Week” on the Great Minds in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) website. Last year, Castillo was named a scholarship recipient by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation-Shaw Industries Group.
The CBYX program is designed for young students in career fields including engineering, business and agriculture. A reciprocal scholarship program, CBYX was established and supported by the United States Congress and the German Parliament (Bundestag) in 1983. German students also come to the U.S. to study at colleges in the fall and work at local businesses in the spring. Students who want to apply to the program or for more information, visit www.cbyx.info. Those who are interested in hosting a German student, may email CBYX at cbyx@cdintl.org.
