How a LinkedIn Post Led Me to a Co-op at Moderna: Kayla Fowler's Story

Widler Casy
Jul 19, 2025
4 min read

***"Our mission is to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines."***

Biotech Intern Newsletter: Spotlight on Kayla Fowler

Welcome to this edition of the Biotech Intern Newsletter, hosted by Redbrick Bio. Today, we are proud to feature Kayla Fowler, whose on-site internship at Moderna offers an insightful look into operational excellence and cross-functional growth in a large-scale biotech setting. From navigating ambiguity in a new environment to stepping outside her comfort zone to build confidence, Kayla’s experience reflects the transformative power of adaptability, curiosity, and mentorship.

Internship Snapshot

Company: Moderna

Location: On-site

How It Started: Found through an online LinkedIn posting

A Day in the Life

At Moderna, Kayla supported the planning and execution of gap assessments between the Pilot and Clinical GMP scales. Her role required attention to detail and a willingness to work through complexity, contributing to process evaluations that bridge development and production workflows.

Lessons From the Lab

Biggest Learning:

“My Co-op experience taught me how well I can quickly adapt to unfamiliar internship environments. It was my first time doing a Co-op at a larger biotech company and was a bit intimidating at first. By the end of my experience, however, it taught me how to navigate ambiguity and grow in areas beyond my initial expertise, ultimately proving my ability to adapt and succeed in new challenges.”

Best Advice Received:

“To never, ever be afraid to ask questions or seek help in something that you don’t fully understand. Internships and Co-ops are made to help you grow and learn. No one expects you to know everything.”

Wish I Had Known:

“I wish I had known how important it is to build relationships from day one. Networking with colleagues can open doors and give you insights that are incomparable.”

Wish I Had Learned:

“I wish I had gotten more exposure to how teams, outside of the team I was a part of, collaborate with each other to meet goals.”

Fun Moments and Growth

Most Fun Experience:

“Some friends I had made during the Co-op and I went to a Red Sox game together. I had never gone to a Red Sox game so it was a ton of fun.”

Biggest Struggle:

“I initially struggled with making independent decisions when I wasn’t 100 percent sure of the right answer. I found myself second guessing instead of trusting my reasoning. Over time, I learned to be more confident in my judgment by gathering the necessary context, consulting resources, and making the calls that I thought were correct. Then not being afraid if they weren’t because again, I was there to grow and learn.”

Behind the Scenes

Who Made It Memorable:

“Definitely my supervisor Amanda Iandoli. She always went above and beyond to help me throughout my experience. Her guidance and support to help me grow professionally made all the difference during my Co-op.”

Advice for Future Interns

Words of Wisdom:

“Use the time to learn more about the field you’re interested in but also use it to learn more about yourself. Learn how you work the best, how you collaborate with others, what your communication style is, what are your strengths, weaknesses, etc. Use it to grow professionally yes, but also personally. Embrace vulnerability, ask questions, and prioritize learning over ego.”

What Interns Should Focus On:

“Growing, learning, and networking.”

Turning Challenges into Growth

Kayla also shared a story about overcoming her fear of oral presentations. “Something I struggled with was oral presentations, especially when I was presenting to managers and team leads. The best way I overcame this struggle was to make sure I was comfortable with my material. I did this by asking questions to my supervisor whenever the slightest thing confused me or didn’t make sense. That way, when it was time to present my findings, I was ready to communicate it confidently instead of being nervous. It also helped to plan one on ones with my supervisor to practice a presentation a couple days beforehand to prepare how I wanted to structure my wording and communicate the overall story. Both of these things helped me tremendously when faced with presentation anxieties.”

Rapid-Fire Favorites

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Online or In-Person Meetings? In-person meetings

Mountains or Beaches? Beaches

Closing Thoughts

Kayla’s internship at Moderna exemplifies what it means to grow personally and professionally in a dynamic biotech environment. Her willingness to ask questions, take initiative, and reflect on her growth journey offers a powerful roadmap for future interns. Whether it’s navigating complex projects or learning to lead presentations with confidence, Kayla’s story shows that success often begins with curiosity and a strong support system.

Connect with Kayla Fowler on LinkedIn to follow her journey in biotech.