I have always had a very strong interest in scientific research. While I was attending high school in my home country (Italy), I remember trying to imagine what doing research would be like and whether I’d be cut out for it. Sadly, given the economic circumstances facing (and still troubling) Italy, I soon realize that research was not a viable career option and I decided to pursue medicine instead. However, everything changed when I moved to the United States to attend college. Towards the end of my very first quarter as a freshman, I was lucky enough to be picked as one of the new members of Dr. Nathan Sutter’s genetics lab: Nate’s lab (he encourages his students to call him Nate). That’s when I slowly started to realize that my lifelong interest in research was possible and my passion awakened. I’m aware I’m going to sound like a nerd (maybe because I am?), but I must admit that I had never experienced anything like that before. I spent countless hours in the lab, working on my projects day and night and pushing myself to do better than I had ever been in my life. Being in Nate’s lab taught me a lot of things, but I wanted more. So I joined Dr. Diaz’ virology lab, the lab I am currently in. Joining a second research lab during my undergraduate journey at La Sierra opened my eyes to a completely different approach to the subject and made me a significantly better scientist. I like to think it made me a slightly better person too.
After spending three years conducting research in two labs, I realized I couldn’t sacrifice my genuine passion for research to pursue medicine. I spent the last two years of my life trying to persuade my parents of that. Eventually I succeeded and started applying to grad schools all over the United States. After going through a gruesome application/interview process, I was accepted to Duke University, where this summer I’ll be starting my PhD in the Department of Molecular Cancer Biology. I still can’t believe it whenever I think about it. I feel very, very lucky. If there is a merit that has driven me to succeed, it is hard work. But even hard work alone cannot accomplish much. No, I only made it thanks to all the experiences I have lived and all the people I have met in the past three years. My journey at La Sierra might have been short-lived, but I believe it changed my life forever.
— Nancy Kalaj, Class of 2019