Beyond Imagining: Yamilet Taveras ’27 finds her passion and career path in Utica’s chemistry labs
“The more I got exposed to research, the more I realized I just loved being in the lab.”
Only 25 university students from across the nation were selected to attend the American Chemical Society’s Graduate School Readiness Bootcamp.
Yamilet Taveras ’27, chemistry major and former pre-med student, was one of them.
The three-day workshop, which was held January 30 in Atlanta in conjunction with the ACS Leadership Institute, is designed to support undergraduates as they explore and prepare for applying to graduate school. According to the ACS, the program is designed to help aspiring graduate students in the chemical sciences reflect on their goals, broaden they perspectives, build confidence, and envision their future career in science. The Bootcamp also creates a space for students to connect and network with peers, current graduate students, ACS leaders, and other professionals.
For as long as she can remember, Taveras loved science and saw graduate school in her future. As a child growing up in the Dominican Republic, she was predisposed to wanting to become a doctor.
“As an immigrant, you’re almost conditioned to think, ‘I like science – oh, doctor,’” says Taveras, who settled in Utica with her family when she was 10. “I didn’t know there were (opportunities in medicine) outside of being a doctor. I never really explored anything outside of medicine. It was always doctor, doctor, doctor.”
Nearly from the moment she stepped into Professor Alyssa Thomas’ lab at Utica, her career path took a sidestep. It was in the lab where Taveras found her home and her passion. “My first year, we did titrations. It was so frustrating, yet at the same time, I was fascinated,” she recalls. “It was so rewarding putting things together to figure out a problem.”
Taveras still sought a career in medicine, only not on the frontline. Under Thomas’ tutelage, she discovered a world of possibilities for combining her desire for helping people, especially the sick, with her love for science and curiosity.
Over the past year, she has worked in the lab with Thomas and Professor Michelle Boucher studying novel techniques for using nanoparticles to target delivery of medicine.
“The more I got exposed to research, the more I realized I just loved being in the lab,” Taveras says.
Earlier this fall, she presented research at the ACS Northeast Regional Discussion (NERD) conference in Worcester, MA, and in March, she is returning to Atlanta to present at the ACS Spring Conference, a major event attracting more than 15,000 chemists.
“From the moment I invited her to do research with me, something just sparked,” Thomas says, “and that spark has taken off like a fire. And applying for the Boot Camp has been one of the biggest catalysts.”
It was Thomas’ mentorship that nurtured her interest in pursuing her Ph.D. and opened the door to the ACS community, where in turn she has gained a network of mentors, peers, and contacts.
One such contact is Wayne Jones. Jones is the three-term chair of the ACS Board of Directors and one of the most influential mentors in Thomas’ career, particularly on her own professional development through ACS.
Taveras met Jones through a chance encounter while in Atlanta for the Bootcamp. They were talking at a professional mix-and-mingle when Taveras mentioned she attended Utica University. Jones’ eyes lit up – unmistakably.
“Do you happen to know Alyssa Thomas?,” Taveras recalls Jones saying. “I was like, ‘No way. She’s my mentor,’” she continues. “He, said, ‘You have to take a picture with me and send it to her. She’s going to die.’”
Thomas sees many of her former students – and herself – in Taveras’ journey. The daughter of a frontline medical professional, Thomas enrolled at Heidelberg College as a biology and pre-med major, believing she was almost preordained to go to medical school.
“Many chemists have the story of, ‘I was once pre-med, but…’” Thomas says, intentionally trailing off before finishing her thought. “I have that story. I realized (I wanted to be a chemist) when it came time for the MCAT, and I didn’t want to take it.
“If a student’s heart is set on becoming a doctor, or if they want to do something else, I’m going to hard core help them reach that path,” she continues. “With Yami, she never found her passion in (med school). As someone who’s had that reluctance, I tried to give other opportunities. I could see the fire was behind her eyes, but just not in med school. Trying to tell a student, ‘I don’t think med school is for you’ – sometimes they don’t realize what you’re really saying is, ‘I see bigger things for you. Let’s see if I can find where that spark happens.’”
Due in large measure to the experiences and opportunities she’s had both in the lab at Utica and through ACS, Taveras has a clear picture of what’s in front of her. She’s discovered her true calling is advancing medicine in the lab through the discovery and development of new drugs, diagnostics, and medical treatments. She’s particularly interested in contributing new techniques for targeting cancer treatments and preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s.
“In the lab, you have to be so sure of yourself,” Taveras says. “It brings me such a sense of confidence – and also this tranquility.”
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