Meet Savitha Saikumar, an international student from India whose path from veterinary medicine to graduate research at the University of Florida reflects both courage and curiosity. With a strong foundation in clinical practice and a growing passion for animal nutrition, Savitha has embraced the challenges of a new academic environment while discovering her place in the world of scientific research. Her journey highlights how experiential learning can open doors, build confidence, and shape a meaningful career direction. Savitha also took the extra step to submit her internship through the University Recognized Internship process, ensuring her experience is officially documented and celebrated by UF — a recognition that affirms the impact of her work and the value of her hands‑on learning. Congratulations to Savitha — we’re incredibly proud of her dedication, growth, and commitment to turning hands‑on learning into real‑world impact.
Explore her full story below.
1. What’s your major and year at UF, and how did you locate this internship opportunity?
I’m a second-year master’s student in Animal Science, specializing in ruminant nutrition, at the University of Florida. I learned about this opportunity through a combination of faculty guidance and LinkedIn. My advisor played an important role, and LinkedIn helped me connect directly with professionals in the industry and explore opportunities aligned with my interests.
2. Where did you intern, and what were your day-to-day responsibilities?
I interned at RD Lifesciences (last summer), a biotechnology company that manufactures natural feed additives. During my internship, I worked on multiple lab-based projects, supported technical education for internal team members, and conducted data analysis for ongoing research projects. I also contributed to developing technical content for marketing by writing blog articles published on the company website and creating short marketing videos shared on social media. This role gave me exposure to multiple areas, including research, technical communication, product development, and sales.
Examples of my published work and features include:
Decoding the Roles of Pre-, Pro-, Syn-, and Postbiotics:
https://rdlifesciences.com/2025/09/19/decoding-the-roles-of-pre-pro-syn-and-postbiotics/
Improving Nutrient Digestibility in Dairy Cattle:
https://rdlifesciences.com/download/improving-nutrient-digestibility-in-dairy-cattle/
Company recognition on National Intern Day (LinkedIn feature):
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/savitha-saikumar_savitha-national-intern-day-activity-7356671255082668032-JlVO
3. What new skills did you gain from this experience?
I significantly strengthened my data analysis and interpretation skills, particularly while working with real-world datasets that are not always clean or straightforward. Beyond technical skills, I learned how to communicate scientific results clearly to non-academic audiences, which is a critical industry skill but not always emphasized in graduate coursework.
4. What personal strengths did you bring to the role?
I brought adaptability and a strong analytical mindset. With a research background, I’m comfortable working independently, solving problems, and handling complex data. I’m also very receptive to feedback, which helped me quickly adapt to industry expectations and workflows. During my internship, I also received a national-level 3-Minute Thesis competition award for a separate project, and the company highlighted this achievement as part of my professional development while interning.
5. Why was this a meaningful experiential learning experience for you?
This internship helped me connect the dots between research, data, and real-world application. It showed me how animal nutrition moves from experiments to products that directly impact animal health and performance. More importantly, it helped me clearly see myself in an industry role and gave me confidence that my academic training has real-world value.
Explore more about Savitha and her experiences!
We were thrilled to highlight Savitha Saikumar’s experiential learning journey through her University Recognized Internship — and we’re just as excited to share another chapter of her story. This feature shines a light on Savitha’s experience as an international student, her strong foundation as a trained veterinarian from India, and the determination that helped her secure an industry internship through LinkedIn. Her path reflects resilience, curiosity, and the power of building connections that open doors. Click here to read the full story.
