Matthew Casarano '26 | Finding a Future in Pharma

The result? Landing key internships, travel opportunities and more – while meeting so many people along the way.

When Matthew got the chance to apply for an internship at leading global pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc., located right on the Emmanuel campus, he knew he had to jump at it. As a Biology major, Matthew had an interest in pharmaceuticals – but it wasn’t until he saw industry research in action that he was certain it was the career path he hoped for.

As a Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Intern, he got to see “how research works in the real world,” meaning full work weeks dedicated to research and development, as well as an inside look in production and regulation at a leading company in the field.

“Being able to access that internship through Emmanuel gave me a huge advantage among my peers, and allowed me to distinguish myself in my field of study. It really speaks volumes about the relationship between the College and Merck,” Matthew said.

In spring 2026, he’s working on the other side of the pharmaceutical industry, as a Pharmacy Technician Intern for CVS. It’s not exactly what he hopes to pursue as a career, but it’s been beneficial to his professional growth nonetheless.

“Pharmaceutical work is a lot more than just counting pills and filling prescriptions,” he said, “I’ve been able to see a bit more behind it, like the business and customer service aspects of it. I have to be knowledgeable about the drugs to answer peoples’ questions.”

From early-stage drug development at Merck to patient-facing pharmacy work at CVS, Matthew has broadened his understanding of the pharmaceutical pipeline and sharpened his readiness for the workforce. “It opens up so many possibilities… along the way I’ve seen so many different roles and thought, ‘that’s a job I can have,’” he said.

At Emmanuel, he’s worn many more hats – as a member of the golf team, part of Mission & Ministry, and even a dispatcher for the Campus Safety department. 

 “That’s actually why they [Merck] said they hired me – the campus safety job! It was the fact that I had practice logging requests, answering phone calls and providing support for the office,” Matthew said.

He didn’t expect to be so involved in Mission & Ministry while he was at Emmanuel, either. He grew up Catholic, and ended up getting confirmed at Emmanuel as an undergraduate. Now he can be found helping out the College’s Chaplain, Fr. Federico S.T.D., with altar service each week – and is often referred to as “Federico’s assistant,” as a result.

Being around Fr. Federico and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) proved to be eye-opening for Matthew as well, learning from their unique perspectives and getting to know them as people.

He took a lot away from the Sisters’ legacy, too. On a trip to Rome with Emmanuel students and faculty, Matthew had a chance to learn more about the legacy of Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, and her efforts to preserve the environment.

“Her dedication to the environment and her story really made me think a lot about the intersections between faith and science,” Matthew said.

From experience at a global pharmaceutical company to experience traveling the globe, Matthew might not have predicted where his internships or extra-curriculars would lead, but he has no regrets about stepping outside of his comfort zone. 

And as a member of the Emmanuel community, he always felt supported enough to dive fully into a new opportunity, no matter how unfamiliar it might’ve been.

“I’ve grown so much during my time here, so I’d definitely just recommend taking advantage of everything you can,” he said.