INBRE scholars: Meet Ziomara Jurado

Twenty-four undergraduate students are spending the summer conducting research.

They are called INBRE scholars and are part of the largest grant in UNMC history.

Today we meet Ziomara Jurado of Bellevue, a biology major with a minor in chemistry and psychology at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Who are your heroes?
I am going to have to go with the obvious answer and say my parents. They have never put a limit on what I could or should do. They are constantly pushing me to find new opportunities and to perform at my best.

What are your career goals?
I would like to be in a M.D./Ph.D. program and become a physician who has a good understanding about research.

How did you become interested in science?
I kind of stumbled into science. When I was in high school, I really wanted to be a lawyer because I liked to argue, but then I saw a documentary on a life of a civil lawyer and I decided that wasn’t the right track for me. On a whim, I decided to apply for the UNMC High School Alliance program as a senior in high school. I was accepted, and I started classes. The classes I took at UNMC were my most enjoyable classes that I had taken thus far in high school. Since I enjoyed learning at UNMC, I thought I would major in something that would put me on the pre-medicine track, and that’s how I became interested in science.

What do you hope the INBRE program will do for you?
I want to learn how research works in an academia-type atmosphere, since I go to a small school. I also wanted to learn about options after graduation other than medical school. The INBRE program has done both of these things for me. I have a much broader understanding of research, how it is done, and how much communication and teamwork is involved in research. This program allows us to visit the Nebraska campuses that offer graduate level degrees and some industry labs. This was great for me because I had no clue these types of jobs were available and needed.