Learning to Research
Mahlet Abera puts it this way: “If I can come from Ethiopia and feel comfortable at Guilford College, you can feel at home here too.”
“Actually,” she adds, “I was the first person in my family to go to the States. I enrolled at Guilford without having a chance to visit the school first. Deep down I wanted to broaden my perspective and learn about the other side of the world,” she says, adding that she didn’t realize the enormity of her decision until she got here. And now? “I’m proud of myself for doing it and proud of my parents for supporting that decision. There is no question that it changed my life.”
Mahlet now has a plan that will bring together her personal and professional goals: “I plan to pursue a career in drug discovery, primarily because I like the science. And Guilford College taught me that there are right reasons to make right decisions — I have learned that science brings out the best in me, and I’ll make a difference that way. I want to contribute to women’s rights, to working for equality, to helping those who are not empowered. And I have learned that I can achieve the most when I am involved in science.”
ABOUT MAHLET
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Major: Biology and Health Sciences, Chemistry Minor
Class: 2008
Guilford activities: Dormitory resident advisor, Bonner Scholar, Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Charles Ross Pharmacology Research Fellow at University of Michigan
Why Guilford: “People are very supportive and the education is amazing. I couldn’t equate it to any amount of money. Guilford exposed me to different ideas, people, and perspectives — and brought out the best in me.”
Career preparation: “My professors helped me choose internships. During the summer after my junior year, I collaborated on professional research at the University of Michigan. That experience, combined with excellent letters of recommendation from my Guilford professors, made me a strong candidate when I applied to graduate schools.
Insider tip: “I never thought I was a leader, but Guilford gave me a chance to take part in different activities and organizations, like presenting posters and papers — and making oral presentations at professional conferences gave me more confidence in my ability to communicate. Now I believe I can accomplish anything. I recommend taking advantage of all the academic and extra curricular opportunities at Guilford.”
After Guilford: “I’m currently a Ph.D. candidate in Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania, which has one of the most advanced programs for pharmacology graduate study in the world. I applied to graduate schools at Duke, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt and the Mayo Clinic. And I was accepted by all of them. I chose the University of Pennsylvania because it has an excellent program with great depth — also, it’s ranked # 3 in the nation for pharmacology, after Harvard and Johns Hopkins.”
