Student Spotlight

Hannah Waki

UM Leads to Internship with Harvard Medical School

BY NEAL WAGNER

As a California native, senior Hannah As a fifth-year senior double-majoring in Waki moved thousands of miles to find the biology and chemistry with a concentration University she will forever consider home. in biochemistry, Waki placed academic

“I truly cannot put into words the amount achievement as her top priority at UM. Howof gratitude I have for the University and ever, it’s far from the only thing she has been the people who I have met in my time here,” involved with during her time as a falcon. Waki said. “The memories, opportunities She has been a starter on the UM women’s and relationships I have created here are soccer team for the past four seasons, during something that I will carry with me for the which she has accumulated a bevy of Gulf rest of my life.” South Conference athletic and academic honors. She also served as a tutor in the Learning Enrichment Center and a Montevallo Maven, which are campus tour guides for prospective students.

Last summer, Waki received a firsthand look at her future career when she was selected to serve as an intern at the National Center for Functional Glycomics at Harvard University Medical School. The internship was made possible through a partnership with one of UM’s distinguished alumni, Dr. Richard Cummings ’74.

During the internship, Waki primarily studied the purification of proteins found in serum, a technique that could one day be used to diagnose certain diseases.

“I am very grateful for the time I spent there,” Waki said. “I was able to further cultivate my research skills. This, in turn, deepened my appreciation for the field of science as a whole.”

“Dr. Cummings, as well as the members of his lab, gave me invaluable mentorship. In my short time there, I walked away with more knowledge and advice than I could have ever imagined.”

Waki plans to combine her passions by attending medical school and coaching soccer in whatever capacity she can.

She credits the extended family she found at UM with laying a foundation for all of her future success.

“I knew I belonged at Montevallo when I met the faculty and staff,” she said. “For me, finding a school where I felt comfortable and confident in my advisors was paramount to me. I knew I would be supported every step of the way in my academic journey here.”

“There is something special going on here; you can feel it when you walk on campus. I may originally be from California, but I’m proud to also call this place my home.”