From Ocean Depths to Healing Hearts: Jasmine’s Journey from Marine Biology to Immunology

Jasmine, a College Track alumna from Los Angeles, was eight years old when she decided that she wanted to be a marine biologist. While many of us have childhood dreams that fall by the wayside, Jasmine’s love of the ocean and commitment to science only grew as she got older.

“I have a love of research, of wanting to learn more,” she says. “I’ve always been that person — if someone has a question, and I don’t know the answer, I’m like, let’s Google it, let’s figure it out.”

When it came time to apply to college, she knew she wanted a school with a strong marine biology program. With support and guidance from College Track counselors, she chose the University of California at Santa Cruz. “I feel like without College Track, I would have struggled a lot with the college application process because as a first-generation student, you have to figure everything out for yourself,” says Jasmine.

At UCSC’s coastal campus, Jasmine was able to get plenty of hands-on experience, including a field research opportunity working with elephant seals. But midway through her college career, life events would set her on a new path. Her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and Jasmine quickly changed course to learn everything she could about the disease.

“One of the ways I coped with that diagnosis — having to live with the thought that my mom is not going to be here — was researching more about cancer to try to understand not only what it was, but how our treatments for it have grown and have continued to grow.”

Friends who studied biology advised her to look into the promising field of immunology. When Jasmine found an opportunity to intern at a genomic immunology lab through a College Track partner, she was nervous that her academic resume might not be what they were looking for. But staff encouraged her to apply, and in the end, she was accepted.

“I’m very thankful for the Marson Lab and College Track for that experience and helping me get my foot in the door,” Jasmine says. Jasmine graduated from UCSC in the spring of 2023. She is planning to attend graduate school in the future and is currently looking to gain more experience in the lab. She still maintains a passion for marine biology and dreams of one day combining it with immunology. Her mother is in full remission and her biggest supporter as she navigates this new chapter of life with a renewed sense of purpose.

“If you feel like you can’t necessarily change the world,” says Jasmine, “change the world for the people closest to you.”