Click Here for the 2026 Intern Application
THE PINHEAD INTERNSHIP
ARE YOU MEANT FOR SOMETHING MORE?
Founded in 2003, the Pinhead Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in various scientific fields of study, including (but not limited to) neuroscience, physics, conservation, chemistry, biology, and much more. Pinhead internships provide experience and opportunities for students to work with people who have dedicated their lives to academic pursuits about which they are passionate. This program affords high school students from Cortez, Dolores, Montrose, Olathe, Norwood, Nucla, Paradox, Ouray, Ridgway, and Telluride opportunities not available in our region, and it often is a life changing experience.
You can read our Frequently Asked Application Questions here
2025 Pinterns
Adam Szigeti
Telluride High School
Game Development + Haptics, ASU + U Utah
Ally Metzger
Montrose High School
Entomology And Biology, RMBL
Arianna Galindo Roca
Telluride High School
Public Health, Rodham Institute
Azari Guerrero
Telluride High School
Immunology + Microbiology, Scripps
Benjamin Carpenter
Dolores High School
Aerospace Engineering, OSU
CJ Horning
Telluride High School
Astrophysics, LASP
Destiny Lawley
Montrose Peak
Marine Biology, UCSB
Eli Ellison
Telluride High School
Automotive Engineering, APR
Hugh Hatcher
Telluride High School
Astrophysics, LASP
Jacob Sharpe
Telluride High School
Genome Function + Evolution, Harvard
Kiera Iversen
Olathe High School
Genome Function + Evolution, Harvard
Lachlan Barrett
Telluride High School
Environmental Engineering, EGI
Lana Kenworthy
Telluride High School
Neuroscience, Scripps
Maiya Wagner
Montrose High School
Chemistry, Scripps
Maya Santa Ana
Telluride High School
Cognitive Development, RYC
Noah Landefeld
Telluride High School
Chemistry, University Of Houston
Noelle Roth
Montrose Peak
Chemistry, University Of Houston
Oliver Colaw
Ouray High School
Marine Science, Tybee Island MSC
Reign Icasiano
Montrose High School
Neuroscience, UCSD
Rider Abbott
Telluride Mountain School
Aerospace Engineering, OSU
Sarah Belanger
Telluride High School
Biology Of Aging, Brown University
Seamus McParland-Daab
Telluride High School
Viral Ecology, SDSU Rowher Lab
Shiloh Warthen
Montrose High School
Immunology + Microbiology, Scripps
Valeria Hernandez
Norwood High School
Veterinary Science, VRCC
Valentina Zago Carolei
Telluride High School
Health Science, Uncompahgre Med Center
Vivian Trommer
Telluride High School
Mechanical Engineering, Mines
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IF I DIDN’T ATTEND PRESENTATION NIGHT OR HAVE AN EXCUSED ABSENCE?
You are ineligible to apply.
WHEN IS MY APPLICATION DUE?
Your application for the 2025 Pinhead Internship program should be submitted by 5pm on Friday, November 22, 2024. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
WHAT IF I CANNOT FILL IN THE APPLICATION ON LINE?
Print out the first two pages and fill them out by hand. Type your letter of intent and your resume. Scan and email them all together if possible. Please save your file with your first name, last name, and what the file is. For example, an application from Sarah Holbrooke would be saved as “Sarah Holbrooke Application”. A photo would read “Sarah Holbrooke Photo”. Save your files as PDFs if possible.
FROM WHOM SHOULD I GET LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR)?
One letter from your high school counselor (or principal only if counselor is unavailable), one from a STEM teacher in your school, and one from an unrelated grown up who is outside of school and knows you well. Each recommender should email their letter directly to sarah@pinheadinstitute.org. The file should include your name, for example, “Sarah Holbrooke LOR”.
WHEN ARE THE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR) DUE?
While we would like to have all the LORs by November 22th, we understand that many teachers are busy writing letters for colleges and that should be their priority. As long as we have all your LORs in by Nov 29th we are fine!
HOW DO I GET MY TRANSCRIPT TO YOU?
Ask your school administrator or principal to email sarah@pinheadinstitute.org with your transcript.
WHEN DO I HEAR BACK?
Pinhead will be in touch with each applicant in early December to set up interviews during the first two weeks of December.
WHAT ARE THE INTERVIEWS LIKE?
A panel of three Pinhead staff and advisors will spend about 20 minutes with each student, talking about their interests and abilities.
HOW ARE PINTERNS CHOSEN?
We have many criteria, ranging from grades to recommendations to previous involvement with Pinhead. Our panel rates each student, and decides together which will be admitted to the 2025 Pintern class. We will inform all applicants of our decision by the first week in January.