Jessica Aduwo, '16
"There's a lot of opportunities here, a lot of supports, so tap into the academic resources that are available. Go to the Writing Center, go to the Math Center, talk to your advisor, meet with your professors one on one."
When did you graduate from HCC?
May 2016
Degree:
Associate in Science (biology); High Honors
Age:
20
Where are you from?
Ondo, Nigeria.
Where are you now?
Studying biology at Smith College
HCC Major:
Biology
Activities/Employmen at HCC:
Member of STRIVE and Pathways; Work-study student in STRIVE
Favorite HCC course or teacher:
Biology 107, Fundamentals of Cell and Molecular Biology, with professor Mary Annarella. I like biology because it's real. It's all about animals and plants and you can go out and find one yourself. The experiments and the research are interesting too.
What brought you to HCC?
I moved to the United States in December 2013 with my mother and my sister to be with my father, who was living in Springfield. A friend told me about HCC. I started at HCC last summer in the STEM Starter Academy. I was in the Geo-Tracks program with professor Steven Winters.
What was your most meaningful experience at HCC?
That would probabaly be STRIVE. The people in STRIVE were quite helpful. They introduced me to people in the STEM department. They got me an advisor. They helped me get a math tutor last semester and they even gave me a work-study job this semester in STRIVE.
Why is education important to you?
First you can't get a job without education. Education helps you in the way you relate to other people. You learn more, not just about science but also about life itself, how to write, how to read, how to think.
What was your favorite thing about HCC?
I'd say the professors. Everyone is so nice, like a family. You can ask whatever you want in class and no one is going to shut you up. There's a personal relationship between the professor and the student, and it's a small class environment.
What's the biggest challenge you had to overcome at HCC?
Getting used to a new environment, different people, different culture. We have different views on things, different practices, different religions.
What's the most important thing you learned at HCC?
Never give up on what you want to do. Go for it.
What was your proudest achievement here at HCC?
I completed a summer research program at Cornell University (Microbial Friends & Foes). I lived on campus in Ithaca for 10 weeks doing research on plant pathology and plant microbe biology.
Any advice for other students?
Know what you want to do, why you're here and what you want to achieve. There's a lot of opportunities here, a lot of supports, so tap into the academic resources that are available. Go to the Writing Center, go to the Math Center, talk to your advisor, meet with your professors one on one. Just sit back and relax and have fun.
What's your career plan?
I would love to be a pediatrician or go to graduate school for biomedical research.
