Lydia Villa-Komaroff
Cytonome
Boston, MA USA
"There's really never any end to the questioning of 'What should I do next in my life? Am I doing the right thing? Am I spending my time correctly?' The only thing you really know is that your time is limited. You have to do the thing that makes you feel good."
Career Roadmap
Lydia's work combines: Business, Science, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Goucher College
Graduate Degree
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Currently works in a lab that is separating cells for therapeutic use.
2.
Says she was a tomboy when she was growing up; thinks this prepared her to work in a field full of men later in life.
3.
Went to the University of Washington-over 1,000 miles from her hometown of Santa Fe-because she wanted to leave her comfort zone.
4.
Had a college counselor tell her, "You're not doing well in school because women don't belong in the chemistry major."
5.
Switched over to biology, but continued in her pursuit of becoming a scientist.
6.
Received a doctoral degree in cellular biology from MIT; was only the third Mexican-American woman to get a doctorate in the sciences.
7.
One day, she went to a national meeting of Mexican-American and Native American scientists-17 people were in attendance.
8.
They knew that number was too low, so she helped develop the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I started out as a chemistry major and I didn't do very well, it was very tough. I went to my advisor and he said 'well of course you're not doing well, women don't belong in chemistry.'