My name is Christine Dankha, and I am currently a Junior at Loyola University Chicago pursuing a biology degree.

As a senior in highschool, I was concerned about my future. A chapter was closing, and it was time for me to start a new one. I knew that I wanted to incorporate science into my life, but I did not know what type of science. Was it biology, physics, chemistry, or forensic science? I tried not to worry about it until the summer before my first year in college. My friend, Meghan, told me to stop worrying and start enjoying our field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. My love for museums never dies, and I was very excited to learn something new from this experience with my friends. Once we walked into that museum, my love for science began to really blossom. The exhibits were endless, and I wanted to cover the entire museum if time allowed it. I noticed that I fell in love with learning about the human body, observing the structures, and reading the descriptions that accompanied the various figures. I learned more about the human eye, the veins, the various organs, and the skeleton. It was difficult for my friends to pull me away from my love, but this museum really opened my eyes to what I was most interested in. Although I am not in the museum anymore, this specific museum became a part of me. I learned about myself through this experience and what I wanted to get into: Biology.

Now that I understood the type of science that interested me the most, I had to decide on which college to attend. I wanted a college with an excellent science field, but I also wanted a college that would help me develop my religious beliefs and discover more about other faiths. I always wanted to attend Loyola University Chicago because of its mission, programs, and resources. As a little girl, I would join my Catholic grandma for some tea, as she would tell me about the courageous Jesuit priests who went on journeys, introducing the significance of Christ. The Jesuits specifically emphasize the importance of intellectual exploration, learning, social justice, and cultural awareness. Jesuits noticed the impact an education can have, and they focused on the development of schools to make an education accessible to God’s people, regardless of race, sex, or social status. Loyola University Chicago still carries that tradition to this day “for the greater glory of God.” With its exceptional faculty, dedicated students, and excellent mission statement, I knew that Loyola University Chicago was the school that will help me fulfill my potential, as I also embrace my love for health, science, and religion.

I was honored to received an acceptance letter to Loyola University Chicago. The only issue was payment. I did not know how my dad would be able to pay such an elite university off. I did not want to take out loans, but that had to be done. My dad worked long hours to help pay for my school, and he still does to this day. I was so afraid that I would be a failure to my father or not be good enough for this school, so I wistfully fell into intimidation during my first few weeks at Loyola. I did not recognize that I was, and still am, blessed to be an Achieving College Excellence (ACE) scholar. ACE, a TRiO program, has been my principal guide through college because I had no one else to tell me what college is all about and how I can be successful in my college career. The faculty of ACE provided workshops, one-on-one tutoring, and excellent advisors that helped me undergo the transition from high school to college. ACE helped me realize my potential and that I should not be discouraged because this is my journey. I should make the most of it and build relationships, as I become a loyal member to the Loyola community.

As a Loyola student, I was very blessed to be a part of this community, but I always felt too busy with my academics to focus on myself. I began to meditate and look to God for help. I put all of my stress upon God and moved forward with my studies. I need to have Him in my life, so I do not feel alone on this journey. At Loyola, I experienced spiritual growth, which helped enhance my intellectual growth. I became an altar server for Madonna Della Strada Chapel, and this helped me feel more like a member of the Loyola community. As an altar server, I voluntarily serve the Lord. This position allows me to relieve my stress and become one with my beliefs.

Another way I coped with stress is by understanding the importance of learning. As I grew more interested in my classes, I used a variety of study strategies that helped me enjoy the learning process. One of my hidden talents is my artistic ability, so I would implement that in my study sessions. I would draw the Krebs Cycle, an animal cell, cellular respiration, and other important structures and concepts. This helped me learn better and become more relieved. Art is a way to help me express myself, and science is what I enjoy doing. Putting them together makes them the perfect combination to becoming a successful student for a pre-med track. My art helps me release stress, so using it as a tool to help me study puts me at an advantage. I also practiced collaborative learning at the Center for Tutoring and Academic Excellence. I did not feel so alone anymore. Being involved in extracurricular activities also helped me feel like I belonged. For example, I became a member of AMSA, Department of Programming, and Loyola Muslim Student Association. I established relationships through the learning process and engaged in extracurricular activities that helped shape me as the successful student that I have become.  

Now that I am in my junior year, I have established that I want to pursue medicine. I have volunteered at a clinic, and I realized that medicine interests me the most. The doctor I shadowed allowed me to have contact with patients, and he clearly explained his diagnoses. He even taught me how to write a prescription! I feel like he mentored me, and I want to be helpful like him. I want to be able to incorporate my science knowledge. The nurse at the clinic would walk me through X-rays, explain the usefulness of certain machines, and allow me to perform ECGs on patients. The nurse would give me ‘assignments’ to help me enhance my knowledge and completely establish the foundations in a health-related profession. I want to be in the medical field because I feel that health is very important for everyone, and I want to improve the quality of life through care. I want to help the future grow in terms of medicine. Medicine is intriguing because of its innovative changes that result in new discoveries and ways to help preserve our health.

Once I realized that medicine is what I wanted to pursue, I still wanted to demonstrate intellectual growth and exercise my love for science on campus. I am an ACE scholar, which means I have had to maintain a certain level of academic excellence for three years now. Through ACE I have been a part of the ACE Leadership Council, worked as an ACE Tutor, and learned how to research and go after academic and professional opportunities. With the help of ACE, I became an undergraduate researcher under the guidance of Dr. Doering, Professor of Genetics. It was very tough at first. I had to learn to use equipment with which I was unfamiliar. In the summer, I dedicated many hours performing PCRS, runnings gels, and doing mini-preps. I can now work well with others, and I can adapt to differing work environments. You have to be very careful not to contaminate DNA, and this has taught me to become a precise, deliberate, and focused scientist. Also, through my research, I have honed my presentation skills. I presented a peer-reviewed research article on the epigenetic variation in monozygotic twins. I also presented on a new technique for discovering methylation patterns, called Illumina. I enjoy the experience of carefully researching and passing on new information.

As a student who is dedicated to helping other students on their journey through college, I never want other students to feel alone, especially under the similar circumstances I faced being a low-income student. ACE offered me a part-time position as a private tutor for biology, organic chemistry, theology, and philosophy. I was very honored to take on this position because I wanted to give back to ACE, since the organization as a whole has done so much for me. Furthermore, I wanted to provide ACE students with as much help as possible to help them learn but to reinforce the knowledge that I have and pass it on. The ability to share what we learn is the beauty of knowledge.

Through ACE, I also founded ACE Leadership Council, which is a student-led council dedicated to building community within ACE and provide a space for advocacy on campus. ACE Leadership Council was created to build ACE Pride and design social and educational programs for ACE students. Our goal is build community within ACE, get more involved in community projects, and learn more about our own identity as TRiO students.

In addition to ACE, I went into extracurricular activities that helped develop my leadership skills. For example, I became the Campus Activities Network (CAN) representative for American Medical Student Association (AMSA). As the CAN representative for AMSA, I am required to attend meetings with Student Activities and Greek Affairs, attend every AMSA meeting, and develop new ideas for activities, where AMSA could be more involved. I also try to integrate the art of photography into my position, so I take pictures of AMSA meetings and events, and this encourages other members to participate. Outside of medicine, I still stayed active on campus in order to get a phenomenal college experience. I became the president of Golden Key International Honour Society, and this honor demonstrates academic excellence, community service, and leadership skills. We have been dedicated to tutoring high school students and providing other means of community service. I want to make a positive difference in the education of students, especially those who need a lot of support. As an excellent writer, I also began volunteering at the Writing Center at Loyola University, where I get to help improve the writing of Loyola students, especially international students.