Jessica Romo, UC Merced

When deciding where to attend college, I chose UC Merced because it was a brand new school filled with countless opportunities. I knew that I would have opportunities at UC Merced that I could never get anywhere else.

As a Business Management major, I took a nutrition course; an area that was always of interest to me. The more I learned about current research in nutrition, the more I wanted to get involved. I began talking to my professor, Dr. Rudy Ortiz, about how I could participate in nutrition research as an undergraduate. Professor Ortiz informed me of summer research opportunities and eventually became my faculty mentor through the AGEP Scholars Program.

My biggest challenge was having never stepped foot in a real-world laboratory setting before. However, thanks to excellent guidance from my mentor, as well as weekly professional development workshops, and field trips to national laboratories through AGEP, I became very familiar and comfortable with being in a lab setting.

My summer research project focused on studying adolescent childhood obesity in the Central Valley. I have continued my research throughout the school year in order to finish what I started with Dr. Ortiz. Participating in research has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic career. I would have never thought that as a business major, I could be so involved in scientific research. I am very thankful for the doors and opportunities that the AGEP Scholars Program has opened for me.