P E R S O N A L S T A T E M E N T
Growing up in the Republic of Cameroon shaped my understanding of the fragility of life and how someone who appears healthy one day can become severely ill the next just by drinking a glass of water. From my classmates, I learned the fear and agony that is felt when watching a loved one die of HIV/AIDS and from my parents; I gained compassion for those who make personal sacrifices to ensure a better life for their children.
When my family first moved to the United States in mid-2000 in search of a better life, I didn’t speak a word of English, and this motivated me to work harder because I knew that education was the key to a better life. Coming from a developing country to the suburbs of Georgia forced me to adjust not only to a radical change of environment, but also to a culture where, because of my race, I was seen as an inferior other. While my family has left an environment in which resources were scare and disease was plenty, we had entered an environment where the plague of racism festered in the bodies of my classmates, teachers, and neighbors; a challenge that tested my perseverance and my compassion for those who don’t necessarily reciprocate such understanding. I came to the United States scared but excited for the journey that lay before me, and now I can proudly say that I’m currently a senior studying Public Health and Cellular Molecular and Developmental Biology
As I reflect back on the steps, sacrifices, and risks that had to have been made in order for me to have the absolute privilege to attend the University of Washington I feel it important that I recognize those whose guidance have shaped me: My parents, both immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, left the comfort of their homes, families, friends, and ways of life to provide my siblings and I the opportunities that they lacked access to just simply due to where they lived. My teachers, who worked long hours and went underpaid, overworked, and under-appreciated both by the other students who directly benefited from their efforts and by our society that continues to diminish their immense influence, inspired my passion for learning and continue to be a source of support. My research mentors and the members of the Bamshad Lab where I spent the last four years conducting undergraduate research, who spent countless hours tirelessly searching for genetic clues that could exponentially increase the standard of living for those struggling from often forgotten rare Mendellian disorders, welcomed me into their family with open arms and serve as a source of mentorship and encouragement to pursue my goals. Lisa Peterson, the director of the ALVA GenOM minority outreach program at UW, who has dedicated her life to serving the underserved, has walked and counselled me through both the days where I found myself crying in her office to the ones where we rejoiced together at my successes.
To all those named and the countless others whose support have allowed me to even be in this position, I thank you. To those courageous others that walked this path before me and paved the way, I thank you. And finally, to those who will continue on this journey after I leave the university, I wish you the best.
Growing up in the Republic of Cameroon shaped my understanding of the fragility of life and how someone who appears healthy one day can become severely ill the next just by drinking a glass of water. From my classmates, I learned the fear and agony that is felt when watching a loved one die of HIV/AIDS and from my parents; I gained compassion for those who make personal sacrifices to ensure a better life for their children.
When my family first moved to the United States in mid-2000 in search of a better life, I didn’t speak a word of English, and this motivated me to work harder because I knew that education was the key to a better life. Coming from a developing country to the suburbs of Georgia forced me to adjust not only to a radical change of environment, but also to a culture where, because of my race, I was seen as an inferior other. While my family has left an environment in which resources were scare and disease was plenty, we had entered an environment where the plague of racism festered in the bodies of my classmates, teachers, and neighbors; a challenge that tested my perseverance and my compassion for those who don’t necessarily reciprocate such understanding. I came to the United States scared but excited for the journey that lay before me, and now I can proudly say that I’m currently a senior studying Public Health and Cellular Molecular and Developmental Biology
As I reflect back on the steps, sacrifices, and risks that had to have been made in order for me to have the absolute privilege to attend the University of Washington I feel it important that I recognize those whose guidance have shaped me: My parents, both immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, left the comfort of their homes, families, friends, and ways of life to provide my siblings and I the opportunities that they lacked access to just simply due to where they lived. My teachers, who worked long hours and went underpaid, overworked, and under-appreciated both by the other students who directly benefited from their efforts and by our society that continues to diminish their immense influence, inspired my passion for learning and continue to be a source of support. My research mentors and the members of the Bamshad Lab where I spent the last four years conducting undergraduate research, who spent countless hours tirelessly searching for genetic clues that could exponentially increase the standard of living for those struggling from often forgotten rare Mendellian disorders, welcomed me into their family with open arms and serve as a source of mentorship and encouragement to pursue my goals. Lisa Peterson, the director of the ALVA GenOM minority outreach program at UW, who has dedicated her life to serving the underserved, has walked and counselled me through both the days where I found myself crying in her office to the ones where we rejoiced together at my successes.
To all those named and the countless others whose support have allowed me to even be in this position, I thank you. To those courageous others that walked this path before me and paved the way, I thank you. And finally, to those who will continue on this journey after I leave the university, I wish you the best.