CHARLOTTE, N.C./JULY 18, 2024 – Zoe Migioni knew she wanted to leave her hometown in Zimbabwe to pursue her education in a different country.
“I love to change environments,” she said. “Initially, I wanted to go to Canada. But when a friend of mine came to the U.S., they kept telling me how great it was. America is one of the hardest countries to get into, and the education here is the highest you can aim.”
Now, the second-year Biology major says her decision to come to the U.S., but especially to Johnson C. Smith University, has changed her life and given her the opportunities she used to dream of.
One of those opportunities was the chance to attend the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIMBLE) internship in Albany, N.Y. The week-long experience brought minority students into the research facilities and labs that are responsible for developing and manufacturing medications.
“I want to go into the medical field,” said Migioni. “The reason why I wanted to go to this experience is because I was able to see the background of the medication I would prescribe if I do become a doctor.”
During the first part of the week, Migioni visited research facilities. She was able to shadow researchers to understand the process behind researching an illness or medical complication and formulating proposed medications to address the issues.
Next, Migioni visited a facility that creates specialty equipment for research and bioengineering labs.
Lastly, she said she was able to visit a facility that completes clinical trials. As a part of the internship, she was also able to earn a certification in micro-pipetting and participate in various lab dissections.
While Migioni still aspires to become a doctor, she said the internship has made her consider pharmacy as a backup plan.
“We need to help doctors treat diseases,” she said. “It is interesting to research and figure out how we can use different cells in our bodies to create medication that would be good for patients.”
Now that she has returned from her NIMBLE experience, Migioni has been focusing on her summer work with the JCSU Becoming Kings program and researching with Dr. Tracey Brown-Fox. She is looking forward to the fall semester, during which she hopes to get more involved in student activities.
“A lot of the time, international students do their thing and keep their heads down,” she said. “I want to expand my on-campus presence and do more at JCSU. I’ve done a lot to represent JCSU outside of campus. Now I want to focus on expanding my interactions with my peers.”
When asked what motivated her to pursue a summer internship, Migioni said it was simple: the opportunity to keep learning.
“I love to learn. It’s what I’m good at,” she said. “That’s my talent. I am thankful that John Josiah, who has now graduated, told me I should apply for the NIMLE experience. He went when he was a sophomore.”
Migioni said that connecting with Josiah and other people in her major has helped her to start off her collegiate journey successfully. She says anyone looking to expand their opportunities should cultivate relationships with their professors and with career services.
“As an international student, I always want to put my best foot forward,” she said. “A lot of people think international students kind of hide. I think there’s so much we can learn from one another.”
Migioni said she is looking forward to taking more biology classes when she returns in the fall.
