CREST Biotechnician Bootcamp: Meet the Participants
Biotechnology is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country, and the CREST Biotechnician Bootcamp is making sure that talent from right here in the Mid-South has a seat at the table.
Offered at two Tennessee community college sites (Motlow State Community College and Volunteer State Community College) the CREST program provides hands-on, workforce-ready training designed to open the door to careers in biotech for people from all walks of life. Whether participants are fresh out of school, pivoting from another industry, returning to the workforce after time away, or bringing years of experience from a completely different field, CREST meets them where they are and equips them with the credentials and skills to move forward.
"CREST provides adults with the opportunity to pivot into STEM careers that support families, placing individuals on a trajectory to enter a field they may have never thought possible," said Giselle Calderon, CREST program manager. "We focus on making that achievable, providing them with stipends that allow the participants to dedicate themselves fully to this intensive, multi-week program. They will come out of the training with a nationally recognized Biotechnician certification and the skills to back it up, which will help them open doors to Tennessee's growing biomedical ecosystem. We're excited about the people coming out of this program and eager to see where they go."
This cohort is proof of exactly that. The participants represent a remarkable range of professional backgrounds, with people coming from military service, healthcare administration, transportation, retail management, animal science, culinary arts, and more. What unites them is a shared drive to grow and a willingness to take a bold step toward something new.
Motlow State Cohort:
Lt Alexis
Andrew Armstrong
Sam Boutin
Aaron Brock
Lauryn Burks
Connie Clark
Nicole Diaz
Kalyn Fortune
Kennedy Jackson
Devon Minor
Chola Mpundu
Kerstin Omega
Taeveon Parker
Jed Quebral
Haileigh Ray
Khadijah Young
Volunteer State Cohort
Prithi Ainapure
Loretta Brock
Crystal Burks
William Clay
Savannah Cox
Amoré Dear
William Finger
Omar Carmona Garcia
Alyssa Hobbs
Robert S Overall III
Kristen Seay
Shamekia Shaw
Alex Smith
Nakeisha Trotter
As the bootcamp gets underway, we'll be following along and sharing updates and in-depth spotlights on select participants whose journeys highlight the real-world difference programs like CREST can make. Their stories reflect something bigger: a region investing in its people and building a workforce ready for the industries of tomorrow.
To learn more about the CREST Biotechnician Bootcamp and what the Mid-South Hub is doing to advance innovation and workforce development across the region, visit midsouthhub.org/crest.