Inspire Magazine 2021

SCF Graduate On a Fast Track to Success

Natasha Wanjohi ‘19 is on the fast track to a promising future, earning early acceptance to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Lakewood Ranch.

Being ahead of the game is nothing new for Wanjohi. She skipped first grade, was dual-enrolled at SCF during her time at Lakewood Ranch High School and competed on the school’s weightlifting team. She topped off those accomplishments by graduating a year early with a 4.2 GPA and earning her associate in arts degree from SCF in December 2019. At 19, she’s already a junior at the University of South Florida, majoring in biomedical sciences. Her spot at LECOM will be waiting for her in 2022 after she completes her bachelor’s degree.

“This LECOM acceptance is unreal to me. It's a blessing.”

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t slowed her down at all either. In fact, she said her time management skills improved when her classes were forced to go entirely online in 2020.

“I think by far one of the hardest challenges to overcome is just staying on top of everything including studying, watching lectures and doing homework,” she observed. "But I have found myself improving on my time management skills by prioritizing school and important events before social gatherings and free time.”

She became interested in the medical field because of her mother’s career as a nurse. Having steadfast support from her family has been integral to her success as well.

Wanjohi says she appreciated her SCF experience. She especially highlighted her time learning from Dr. Anthony Gambino and Dr. Jose Ors and noted it’s easier to connect with faculty members at SCF than in a university setting.

“The teachers are more engaged, there’s more one-on-one, you have more time with your professors. I really liked that,” she recalled. “I tell everybody I know, ‘come to SCF and do dual enrollment.’”

While at SCF, Wanjohi also benefited from the Tampa Bay Bridge to Baccalaureate (TB-B2B) program. TB-B2B, now in its fourth year, is a grant-funded alliance of regional colleges working to increase the number of underrepresented minority students completing a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics programs.

Linette Victor, TB-B2B’s student success coordinator and Wanjohi’s mentor, said Wanjohi is one of a kind. “She’s a little firecracker. She’s the most kind, compassionate student I’ve ever interacted with.”

Already closing in on a bachelor’s degree and with a start date set for four years of medical school at LECOM, Wanjohi has a bright future. She’s still in the process of deciding what specializations to pursue.

“I definitely want to do something with surgery or anesthesiology, or maybe OB-GYN.”