During the summer of 2018, we had the privilege of having Joyce join the Living for Zachary team as a summer intern. “By interning for Living for Zachary, I gained a better understanding of what it takes to run a successful non-profit. I love the organization’s mission, and I was fortunate to help them make a difference in the lives of Texas youth this past summer” says Joyce.
Joyce decided to join us after she was awarded the Living for Zachary Academic Scholarship in 2017. She graduated from Allen High School in 2017. During her time at Allen, she discovered her passion for medicine through her school’s health sciences program. Through the program, she was able to work at a nursing home, shadow at a hospital, and become a Certified Nursing Assistant. This helped her develop the love for working with patients that drives her dream of becoming a physician.
Joyce received the Living for Zachary Scholarship in February 2017. After finding out that she was one of the scholarship recipients, Joyce says she felt surprised and incredibly grateful. “I’m so glad there are organizations like Living for Zachary that are committed to helping students achieve their goals. I’m honored to have represented Living for Zachary as a scholarship recipient, and I can’t thank the organization enough,” says Joyce.
Joyce is currently a biology major at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of UT’s Polymathic Scholars program, an honors program that allows students within the College of Natural Sciences to pursue an interdisciplinary field of study.
During her freshman year, Joyce was able to participate in a medical service trip in Panama. She also works in a genetics lab at UT and volunteers with the research department at Dell Children’s Medical Center. The genetics lab studies the role of proteins involved in gene expression. At Dell Children’s, Joyce works in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and collects data from patients to assist neurologists with clinical research studies.
After graduating from UT, Joyce plans to attend medical school so that she can continue to make a difference in patients’ lives. She hopes to specialize in either pediatrics or neurology.
We are so proud of the time and effort Joyce has put into pursuing her dream of becoming a physician, and we are grateful for the time she shared with our team this past summer. We wish her the best of luck with the rest of her time at UT and beyond!
