Kyle Murphy ’24 (biochemistry major) interned with the Home Land Environmental Lab in Waldorf, Maryland, during the summer of 2022. Murphy ran tests on drinking water to detect heavy metals, foreign sediments and compounds like phosphates and nitrates. At the end of the internship, he was tasked with writing a scientific report about the tests he’d performed.

The experience served Murphy well: his senior capstone project that he completed during the summer of 2023 relied upon his knowledge about testing for contaminants in drinking water. Murphy's hands-on experiences at the Waldorf, Maryland lab was an opportunity guaranteed to him through the Honors College Promise. St. Mary's College students are guaranteed the opportunity to pursue an internship, research experience or international study. That promise is supported by the College's LEAD Initiative (Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery).

“[The employees at Home Land Environmental Lab] were all very personable and easy to talk to, but most importantly they were inclusive and taught me everything they knew about the lab and the chemistry surrounding drinking water testing.” Murphy is an active EMT and plans to go to medical school, possibly to train to be an emergency room doctor.