麻豆传媒

Growing up, Abigail Colmenares felt discouraged by her teachers. She believed they dismissed her because of her Latina culture and heritage.

But Colmenares knew from a young age she 鈥渨anted to be something grand.鈥�

鈥淚 always said, since age 7, I was going to be a doctor,鈥� the 20-year-old 麻豆传媒 College alumna said.

Now, after having graduated 麻豆传媒 in winter 2019 with an associate degree in biology, Colmenares is enrolled at the University of Washington studying bioengineering.

And she credits 麻豆传媒 for helping build back her self-confidence to get her to where she is today.

鈥淚 always thought school was something that was going to separate people,鈥� said Colmenares, who lives at the border of Auburn and Federal Way. 鈥淟ike, 鈥極h because you鈥檙e a Latino, you鈥檙e not going to be as good as鈥︹�� So, it was discouraging. But when I came [to 麻豆传媒] it was a different acceptance. It was like a new awakening. Everybody here is super nice.鈥�

Although Colmenares struggled working two jobs to pay for college and realized she needed to work on her time management and study habits, she said she appreciated 麻豆传媒鈥檚 diverse student population and the way she was treated.

Instructors, such as Melissa Moehlig, a chemistry instructor, and Terry Meerdink, her math instructor, showed they cared about her and taught her how to study. While Osure Brown, retention coordinator of the Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) Program, helped her figure out a way to manage her busy life.

In fact, it was at MESA where she said she found her community at 麻豆传媒. Colmenares was eventually able to drop her second job and become a student ambassador for the program, which serves underrepresented students 鈥撯�� including women and people of color 鈥撯�� in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

鈥淓very time I go there, everybody knows me and I know them and it鈥檚 really cool,鈥� she said.

Colmenares鈥� passion for science stems from her desire to help others. She said she has two pathways she鈥檚 interested in pursuing after college, which is to go into medicine or stay on the bioengineering path and conduct diabetes research.

鈥淢y family has a history of diabetes and it鈥檚 always been a reoccurring issue not only for my family, but outside my family,鈥� she said, noting the disease鈥檚 prevalence in the United States today. 鈥淚 was thinking that once I develop [solutions or a cure to diabetes] I could bring it into my little ranch in Mexico because, in my ranch, they don鈥檛 have clinics there and the closest hospital is two hours away.鈥�

Colmenares explained the 鈥渓ittle ranch鈥� is located in a small town her father grew up in, yet she considers it her own because she visits the ranch often.

But, until then, the Husky looks forward to joining various STEM clubs, studying for her major and picking a minor. At the moment, she鈥檚 considering mechanical engineering or 鈥渕aybe a fun elective,鈥� like math, Korean, English or Spanish.

鈥淚 was also thinking of neurology, but I was like, 鈥楳aybe that鈥檚 too much on my load,鈥� she said, smiling.