3MT Winner Spotlight | Yonne Nasimiyu

I did my undergraduate degree at a small, private college in Missouri. During that time, I was an athlete, so I played volleyball there. My background has been in athletics, and I grew up with a friend who also played volleyball. My mom was a volleyball player as well. I was able to start coaching in my undergraduate career, which I really appreciated.

After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I went to teach at a day school in Virginia for four years. I got recommended the position from a colleague in Maine. I taught advanced biology for juniors and seniors, and I was an assistant to a global health fellows program. I also did volleyball and track coaching there. Every opportunity I’ve had has happened through volleyball in some way or another. Currently, I am part of the biomedical science program at Hood.

I had loved the sciences from a young age, and this remained the case during my time as an educator. I initially considered doing a master’s in nutrition, but a mentor from the camp in Maine recommended looking into the biomedical science field. I had no prior in-classroom teaching, but they advised me to apply for it. I was fortunate enough to get the position.

During that time, I was able to grow as an educator and teach many students. The global health program was very rigorous and tapped into facets of many fields, like environmental science or engineering. That specific program helped me see what we were doing with my students and what they got out of it. This led me to return to school, hone my skills and figure out my career path from there.

The biomedical science program at Hood College was a great fit, as I was able to coach volleyball as a graduate assistant while pursuing my master’s degree. This was the deciding factor on whether I would pursue a career in coaching or go further into science. I ultimately decided to go into the scientific field through biomedical science. I couldn’t give 100 percent to both, so I had to make a hard choice.

I remember hearing about it last year from an email, but I didn’t really have any research that I was conducting at the time. Over the summer, I was chosen to be part of a graduate student program through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and that allowed me to start working on my own research. I was able to continue my research as an independent study in recent semesters. I thought about 3MT one day and decided to try it, even if my project was not completely finished.

One important thing in my field is to learn how to speak science to audiences that might not understand it. Presenting my research to a crowd with varying experiences is crucial in my career. I wanted to use this as a learning opportunity. That’s what was exciting for me—I’ve been learning that you don’t always have the answers, and that science is constantly evolving. Sometimes you need to present what you have and continue refining it as time goes on.

Over the summer, I worked with the National Cancer Institute. The principal investigator I was working for had a team that developed a H. pylori genome project. Their study was conducted worldwide. My responsibility was to look into one specific gene that is within that genome, hopQ. This was my first real research project, and it was exciting to delve into. I had to learn by experience, and that was my biggest takeaway from the project.

I was able to continue the research as my independent study for Hood. My mentor, Constanza Camargo, Ph.D., has been a pivotal part of my transition into the biomedical field. I admire her honesty and respect. She encouraged me and gave me opportunities to grow in my field. She allowed me to learn about the science involved and my role in the field.

Professor Meredith Yeager, Ph.D., from Hood was another mentor of mine. Independent studies require faculty to supervise it, since they are basically one-person classes. You need a professor to act as your mentor, and Yeager filled that role. I got more mentorship from her than I had expected, as I thought independent studies would be more hands-off.

The amount of support from mentors and supervisors in my field has been a welcome surprise. They hold us accountable, but they always make time to be available to talk. Mentors were not something I pursued as an undergraduate, so working with them has helped me become more personable. Talking to people has opened up more doors than I had expected. Networking and learning from professionals in your field does a lot of good.

It went well! I usually get a little anxious before presenting, but this was the first time that I was comfortable doing it. There were some parts I would have wanted to work on more, but I think I did well. I’m usually tough on myself, but I felt pretty confident about my presentation overall. It summarized my work on the project in a few minutes. I also liked being able to see other people talk about their research, since I never really get the chance to see what other people are doing. It was refreshing.

I won a People’s Choice Award, which included a cash prize of $500. I was so excited, since I wasn’t sure how well I would do at first. My graduate program is not always easy. I don’t need a prize to feel like I’m working hard, but I appreciated the recognition for my research. It was a really nice moment for me, especially since it meant other people were interested in my work. I’m appreciative that they enjoyed my presentation.

It’s not easy to present your research in three minutes. This study was worldwide, so I had a lot to fit into that short timeframe. My biggest takeaway was, “You can learn so much in three minutes.” Time is a big thing, and there is only so much you can do with it. Are you being effective or efficient with your time? It was a big reminder of how valuable time is and how I should use that time. It provided lessons for me about communication and how much I can get across in a span of time.

Give the competition a chance! It’s something I decided to participate in at the last minute, but it turned out to be a great opportunity. Being strategic about the most valuable information is essential. Put yourself in the audience—ask yourself what you would want to learn in three minutes.

I like to try something at least once, and if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. I would rather do something, fail and learn from my failure than do nothing. Failures can be valuable learning experiences. It’s also great practice regardless of your field, whether you’re in science or marketing. You could compare it to an elevator pitch for a job.

When I joined the biomedical science program, I selected and started classes with the goal of learning about various areas that I was interested in. I didn’t have a specific image of where I wanted to be yet. I took classes in the hopes that I would eventually learn what I wanted to do with myself.

Like I told Camargo, I am so thankful for the classes I have taken, but each one widens my experiences and makes it tougher for me to choose. There is so much out there that I can do! My hope is to pursue a Ph.D. program next year or in the year after. Immediately after this year, I am looking for a position that allows me to continue to strengthen my research skills, whether it is in a lab or somewhere else. I want to be prepared to enter a Ph.D. program when the time comes.

As a person of color, I also want to be ready to enter a program where I would be underrepresented. Not many people would look like me in that kind of program, so I hope that other people will see themselves reflected in me. You can’t always see yourself in those positions if you don’t see someone like you. Inspiring others to get into the biomedical science field would be a major accomplishment. I want to help other people pursue their goals and succeed. I’m very thankful for my mentors and others who supported me, and I hope to do that for others as well.

I enjoy listening to music, especially on vinyl. I’ve been collecting records, and I’m hoping to build a large collection one day!

Inspired by Yonne’s journey in the field of biomedical science? Ready to #GOFURTHER in your career? Learn more about Hood College’s graduate programs, such as biomedical science, by clicking here.