Angelene’s Barnard Journey
I came to Barnard in 2020, amidst the pandemic, and there was a lot of uncertainty about what was going on. My first semester was fully remote, which meant that things like building community had to be put on hold and I could not figure out exactly what Barnard would look like for me. It took a lot of patience, working with the Zoom University mode, and recovering from that to get where I am.
How was navigating Biology here at Barnard?
For the first few semesters the intro biology classes were via Zoom, including the labs. So I was never really able to learn the proper techniques that one would use in a lab setting. When I took my first higher level biology lab course, microbiology, It was a shock. I realized I was kind of behind compared to everybody else. Many students already had some experience, whether through other classes or their undergraduate research positions. I was struggling to do basic things like using a pipette. But I will say what got me through that was having such a supportive and understanding faculty and staff. My professor made it fun to learn and he was really passionate about the topics being taught which encouraged me to keep my motivation up. I also had a great advisor at Access Barnard, who would support me whenever I felt like I was struggling. He recommended everything from peer tutoring to meeting with my professors.
What drew you to research?
I had an initial interest in pursuing STEM as a premed student and I came into Barnard through CSTEP. I spent a lot of time doing different health care internships. As I took my foundation requirements and got different lab experiences, I realized that the passion I had for health care could be transferred to the opportunities that I can get in research. So instead of pursuing medical school, I could get a PhD and the impact that I have in that field can work its way up to healthcare; and that really excited me. It was exciting to know that there were other options to pursue my passion.
I did my first Summer Research Institute internship with the Menge lab at E3B. We did some field work in the Black Rock Forest where I was studying symbiotic relationships between the tree roots and fungus. For my senior project, I was in the Snow lab studying the parasitic relationship that honeybees have with a microsporidia infection, which is causing a decline in bee population. My research would help with getting treatments for this infection by finding a way to target the microsporidia without harming the bees themselves.
Because of my experience with healthcare opportunities, and both a field based lab and a molecular biology lab, I was able to figure out which aspects of those experiences that I enjoyed most so that I could figure out what I want to do after undergrad. I think that helped me find the perfect post-bac, called NY- RaMP, that acknowledges all aspects of me.
What advice do you have for other Barnard students?
I would say that Barnard is a good place to experiment with different things that you might have never thought you would be interested in. So for me, I grew up in the middle of the Bronx. I had never set foot in a forest in my life. I had an opportunity to explore field work with E3B and I took it. I was able to take that and do something I never thought I would ever do before. I found out a lot about myself and where my interests lie through all the different opportunities I got. I started Barnard with my mind set on finding a job in the hospital. I was a little obsessive with that. But I realized everybody has very different paths. If you want to be a doctor, you don't have to go straight into medical school and it's not the end of the world if you don’t get in right after graduating. At first I had convinced myself that it was and then I realized it was okay. You can explore new options, make mistakes, learn from that experience, and grow from it.
I would say that Barnard is a good place to experiment with different things that you might have never thought you would be interested in. You can explore new options, make mistakes, learn from that experience, and grow from it.
What do you like to do outside of Barnard?
Outside of Barnard I also have a passion for music and try to find time for that. Even though my old highschool Aquinas closed down, I'm still active with our alumni orchestra, now stationed at Maria Regina High School, where I can continue playing cello alongside the current students and my fellow alumni. Our music instructor also founded the New York Patriot Marching Band, an all women alumni band, where I’m able to play whenever we are booked. I also love teaching so I was excited to transition after graduating into educating and supporting the next generation at Fordham University as a STEP Tutor/Counselor teaching AP Biology.
