Before the name became synonymous with breakthrough cancer research and Nobel laureates, Fred Hutchinson was a baseball player. Beginning in 1938, "Hutch" pitched for the Seattle Rainiers and then Detroit. He went on to manage both teams, as well as St. Louis and Cincinnati, where he led his team to the 1961 World Series.

Three years later Fred died of lung cancer.

It was the legacy of his brother that fueled Seattle surgeon Dr. William Hutchinson's vision of "building an organization that would provide funds and laboratory space to physicians pursuing research." Today, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center carries on that legacy, with a self-admittedly ambitious goal to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Fred Hutch is a national gem right in our own backyard, that — when you consider the University of Washington, Seattle Children's Hospital and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance — is one piece of an incredible research hub.

During Rob's tour of the labs, he met with Dr. Beverly Torok-Storb who discussed her research and shared with Rob her work in science education. Dr. Torok-Storb created a high school internship program with the Federal Way School District. Fred Hutch even built her a student-friendly lab — the first of its kind.

"I wanted to create an environment where they could meet bright people, feel part of that community and realize they could belong," said Dr. Torok-Storb. "We're going to follow these students through their academic career. We want to see if we impact the kinds of colleges they get in to."

Eleventh-grader Cameron Sharpe says he wants to be a biomedical engineer and that this program is his first step.

Manpreet Bassi, a tenth-grader, says, "I can definitely see myself being like Dr. Beverly, but I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up."

This is a model partnership, and one that should be repeated. Keep it up, Dr. Beverly!