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Natalia Szponder

Bio

My goal is to become to run my own lab in the future, I have an interest in biology and any sciences, and economics. I come from an immigrant family and first generation to go to college.

Education

Northeastern Illinois University

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Biology, General

Maine South High School

High School
2019 - 2022

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Research

    • Dream career goals:

    • Bio-Chem aid Summer Intern

      USDA ARS
      2023 – 2023

    Research

    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

      Northwestern University — SROP Summer intern 2024
      2024 – 2024

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship
    During the pandemic my grandmother who had taken care of me for most of my life had sadly passed away from covid-19. I had to fight with my parents to give her any type of treatment as they are immigrants and come from a country during a time where you were to avoid doctors at all costs, and there was a deep mistrust in doctors and medicine. I watched as my grandmother withered away through the weeks until I had given her a glass of water, and I listened as she didn't even cough it just went straight into her lungs. As my mother stood there watching my grandmother struggle with water in her lungs and try and help her I had enough and called 911 myself. She then passed away less then 48 hours later at the hospital. She was alone, scared and in so much pain that I can't even imagine. On top if it all she was in a place where nobody spoke her language. Since then I think about that moment a lot. It haunts me to this day. It really made me want to connect my community and mend the relationship between some people and medicine. To avoid ever having another child beg their parents to give their grandparent help. I don't want any children ever to experience what I had in life. I don't want more people to end up like my grandmother. I want to make people trust medicine. I want people to trust science. That is my goal in life. With some handwork, I will be able to make it and become a doctor or a medical researcher and make more people believe in medicine, or just believe in me.