‘UNCF Has Taken a lot of Stress Off My Plate’
Bianca Kerr, a junior majoring in biotechnology at College of Our Lady of the Elms, recently received the Slater-Millner Scholars Fund from UNCF. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career in medicine.
“The support I’ve received from the Slater-Millner Scholars Fund has not only lifted a significant financial burden off my shoulders, but also provided me with crucial mentorship as a pre-medical student,” Kerr explained. “I get to speak with and be challenged by practicing physicians who have been through the daunting medical school application process.”
In partnership with UNCF, Dr. Nancy Slater and Dr. Alan Millner developed the scholarship to provide financial assistance to sophomores who are on a pre-med track with a demonstrated interest in serving underserved communities. The program, administered by UNCF, also offers mentorship and advising services through the Ascension Medical Educators – Aspiring Physicians Program. The Aspiring Physicians Program offers recipients monthly webinars focused on topics like professional identity, Medical College Admission Test prep and one-on-one academic advising.
“The extra financial and logistical support I’ve received from the [scholarship] has allowed me to truly focus on my studies without worrying how I’m going to pay for it,” Kerr said. “UNCF has taken a lot of stress off my plate. Thanks to UNCF’s support, I had the time and focus to apply to an early-acceptance osteopathic medical program earlier this year, which I was recently accepted into.”
While Kerr is a first-generation college student, her mother recently received an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Southern New Hampshire University. “I’m very proud of her,” Kerr shared.
For the past two summers, Kerr has gained experience as a research assistant. “My professor is a mentor and role model to me, and we had a lot of fun generating mutant yeast cells to study,” she said. “I’ve learned so many new lab techniques alongside some really bright, funny, motivated students.”
In the lab, she generates mutant Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) clones, inserts the mutant proteins into yeast cells, subjects the cells to a number of stressful conditions, such as heat and chemicals, and then observes which survive and which die. The long-term goal of the study is to gain a better understanding of Hsp90’s role in adaptive evolution, since all animal (eukaryotic) cells contain it.
Kerr was drawn to Elms College’s unique biotechnology program. “Their STEM department is top notch and local, with plenty of opportunities for research experience at an extremely reasonable cost,” she said. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to study biotech only a few miles from home.”
UNCF is proud of our students and alumni who have received scholarships that help them continue their education and graduate. These scholarships are invaluable to students, and UNCF is accepting donations to support students like Bianca Kerr in their academic endeavors.