By Eliza Dysart
The UF Health Cancer Institute Ambassadors Program is helping graduate students build mentorship and communication skills while introducing younger students to cancer research through outreach, workshops and training programs.
“The program connects graduate students with opportunities to lead educational events, present research and mentor students ranging from high school to undergraduate levels,” said Dietmar Siemann, Ph.D., associate director for education and training at the UF Health Cancer Institute. “The ambassadors are an essential component of all of our student and community outreach activities. They engage personally and naturally to demonstrate the exciting possibilities of science in ways that make younger students feel at ease.”
Maria Hernandez, an ambassador and graduate student in the Cancer Biology Concentration in the UF College of Medicine Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, said she has always been passionate about education. The program’s goal of making research more accessible to students and the community was the main attraction for her.
Hernandez’s own challenges finding research opportunities as an undergraduate shaped her desire to help others access similar experiences.
“I had to knock on many doors as an undergrad to acquire research exposure and, for me personally, being part of the UF Health Cancer Institute has allowed me to open doors for other students who are also in the shoes I was once in,” said Hernandez, who works in the lab of Christian Jobin, Ph.D., co-leader of the UF Health Cancer Institute’s Immuno-Oncology and Microbiome research program.
Ambassadors participate in interactive workshops and educational programs designed to introduce scientific concepts to students and educators at multiple levels. They play an essential role in educating the next generation through initiatives including the Cancer Research Conference for Science Teachers and the Science Outreach Program.
“A set of moments that are always incredibly fulfilling is when the students or teachers who are attending our science workshops enter the room with very little knowledge and slowly, I see them grasp the concept of what we’re teaching them,” Hernandez said. “You can see their mind racing, really applying what we’ve taught them in the experiment and asking all sorts of awesome questions.”
The program also provides leadership opportunities, including committee work and event coordination.
Gabriela Hery, another ambassador, was first introduced to the program through participation in the Cancer Institute’s STRONGER Program, a 12-week summer internship funded by the National Cancer Institute (PI: Siemann). The internship gives undergraduate students from universities across the United States hands-on research experience, exposure to cancer research careers and preparation for applying to health-related Ph.D. programs.
Hery, a student in the UF Veterinary Medical Sciences Ph.D. program, was encouraged to apply to the Ambassadors Program by its leadership, including president Maddy Carelock.
Her involvement has grown over time, including serving on the program’s executive committee and helping organize workshops and conferences.
“This role has been especially rewarding as it allows me to take a more hands-on role alongside the incredible administrative team and fellow ambassadors to help organize workshops, conferences and panels,” she said.
The experience has also helped Hery develop as a mentor while supporting students exploring graduate school pathways.
“It’s given me the chance to give back to the community and support students who are exploring paths into grad school, letting them know that there isn’t just one ‘right’ way to get there,” said Hery, who works in the lab of UF Health Cancer Institute member Rowan Milner, Ph.D.
“It’s given me the chance to give back to the community and support students who are exploring paths into grad school.” — Gabriela Hery
Through her time as an ambassador, Hery also learned about the Cancer Institute’s Team-based Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Training (TICaRT) Program, where she is now working with postdoctoral fellow Sadi Quinones-Al-Muhtaseb on a spatial transcriptomic profiling and mass spectroscopy imaging project in glioblastoma. Hery has benefited from the program’s near-peer mentorship approach to cancer research collaborations.
“That mentorship and guidance have been invaluable, not only for the science, but also for navigating the graduate student experience,” Hery said. “Both of these opportunities came directly from the connections and experiences I gained as an ambassador.”
Both ambassadors said the program strengthens science communication skills and builds a sense of community among participants across disciplines. This includes building lasting friendships within the Ambassadors Program to make graduate school more enjoyable.
“Science is for everyone and knowing I have helped expose this field to many warms my heart,” Hernandez said.
“Science is for everyone and knowing I have helped expose this field to many warms my heart.” — Maria Hernandez
Thank you to our ambassadors!
