Millennials A future scientist: Andrea Mora, the American dream come true

millennials

AIMING TO OCCUPY THE HIGHEST POSITIONS AS A LEADER IN RESEARCH

▶ A FUTURE SCIENTIST: ANDREA MORA, THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE. A PERUVIAN MILLENNIAL GRADUATED IN THE UNITED STATES

In a world where 72% of scientific positions are held by men, Andrea Mora, a talented, young Latina is breaking barriers aiming to occupy the highest positions as a leader in research projects and get involved in making important, high-ranking decisions in the science world.

This 21-year-old girl of Peruvian origin finished college with a ‘magna cum laude’ mention and earned her B.S. in Chemistry. Then, following the advice of her mentor, Dr. Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the Science Department of Monmouth University, she decided to continue her education at Tufts University near Boston (Massachusetts). Currently, Andrea Mora is studying her Doctorate in Chemistry that broadens her professional horizons and allows her not only to be the pride of her family but also to become a reference for the Latino community in the United States in the future.

Andrea Carolina had a natural talent for chemistry since high school. In fact, it was Anna Jacob, her professor of chemistry at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy public school, in the city of Elizabeth, Union County (New Jersey), who urged her to follow the dream of being a scientist. “Personally, she changed my perspective of the world,” said the Peruvian millennial. “As a first-generation college student, at a time when I felt lost about pursuing higher education, Mrs. Jacob guided me through my possibilities and saw the potential in me that I lacked to see in myself. She always complimented my abilities in her course and told me I had a natural talent for chemistry. ” environments. “The overall goal is to look at the effect that they have on public health, because if these toxic metals are sticking onto microplastics… they could scale up through our food chain… or through drinking water systems,” said this young scientist, who In addition, remembers with special appreciation her one-year internship at the multinational company Colgate-Palmolive; an experience that she described as “tremendously rewarding” for her professional growth and which allowed her to acquire new skills.

Mora conducted research at Monmouth University on the role that heavy metals such as lead, chromium and zinc have on microplastics and how they affect aquatic