I am a Peruvian toxicologist who currently lives in Austin, Texas. When I first read about the SOT ToxScholar funding, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity for me to inspire some of my Peruvian fellows.
Making a career in STEM is challenging in a developing country where little funding goes to education and research. I wanted to share my story with my alma mater, Universidad Nacional de San Agustin de Arequipa (UNSA). I wanted professors to know that despite the obstacles, they were doing a good job at educating students and making them ready for the world. And I wanted students to know that there are several options as a scientist: they just have to look for them. I have stayed in touch with some of my former biology undergraduate professors, and I was thrilled to be invited to present.
Again, working in STEM is not easy in a developing country, and neither is life itself. Due to political unrest, Peru has been in unstable circumstances for the last couple of years, particularly the last two months. The day I was traveling to my hometown, Arequipa, protests started, and the airport was taken over and vandalized. I was stranded in Lima for almost a week waiting to get my flight rescheduled. I had to change my whole itinerary, and I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to present at UNSA in person because of safety issues.
Between Christmas and New Year’s, things calmed down, and I was able to travel and finally do the ToxScholar presentation. I gave a talk about my academic and professional trajectory to about 20 students and several faculty members. After that, I gave a short workshop on human health risk assessment to the 20 undergrad students. I got questions about methodologies for toxicity testing and searching for funding opportunities. Several students were interested in learning more about graduate school and how one can apply to scholarships and fellowships. I was very pleased with the events, and I think they were valuable to the students and myself.
As a Latina scientist, I understand that representation matters, and I appreciate SOT encouraging these types of programs. Some students have already followed up by email, and I hope we can stay in touch so that I can further support them. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am looking forward to doing it again at a different university in Peru.
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