National Chemistry Week 2024: First-Gen Empowerment

Author: Savannah Murphy

Photo: Savannah Murphy presenting her scientific research poster with subject matter focus on ovarian cancer, at the Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), spring of 2023.

My name is Savannah Murphy and I am a fourth-year chemistry and biology major at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

My curiosity in chemistry peaked in the sixth grade. My sixth-grade science class was my first introduction to chemistry as well as human anatomy and physiology. The class was divided into two sections: chemistry, and human anatomy and physiology. At that time, my teacher was a health care provider in the local emergency department (ED). Every day, he would share some of his experiences, and I was enthralled with every bit of it. My teacher saw my passion for chemistry and would provide me with extra-challenging issues to provoke my scientific thinking. In reflection, if it was not for this class and teacher, I wouldn't have found my passion for chemistry and medicine.

By the time I entered high school, I wanted to take every science class that I could to fuel my passion. I took Honors Chemistry my sophomore year, and have been a chemistry tutor ever since. I served as President of the Science National Honor Society (SNHS) for two years, where I mentored other students interested in science and tutored for chemistry, biology, and anatomy and physiology classes.

I developed my own club, the Pre-Med Club, during my time in high school, which still runs now. I utilized basic science experiments geared towards elementary and middle school students to bring foundational understanding of medicine to my peers.

After graduating high school, I went on to pursue my Associate of Science (AS) Degree in Chemistry at Massasoit Community College. Prior to this, during my senior year of high school, I had applied to five private colleges and universities, and one state university, in Massachusetts. I was waitlisted at my top choices and committed to one private college as a chemistry student on a full-ride honors scholarship. After attending the admitted students day, I realized the college was not a fit for me. The college would not allow me to grow intellectually or as a person, so I went to Plan B. However, there was not a Plan B.

The summer was coming up quickly, and I knew that I did not want to delay my education, and so I scoped out options. I looked into the various community colleges in the area and picked Massasoit Community College, due to the rigorous STEM program and first-generation resources. I was anti-community college when I first began and told myself that I would be there for one semester before transferring to a four-year institution. That was not the case, and I fell in love with everything community college had to offer.

During my first semester at Massasoit Community College, I fully immersed myself in the STEM program. I worked 20 hours a week in the on-campus ecology lab and participated in weekly lab meetings and Journal Club, STEM Scholars, and Supplemental Instruction. Working in the on-campus lab was my first exposure to research. It combined both fieldwork and wet lab work, where we researched the effects of urbanization on native pollinators in the Southeastern Region of Massachusetts. Quickly, I realized that I did not care for the field of ecology; however, I wanted to continue the work as I was learning a vast new skill set that could be transferred into my next position.

Similarly, Journal Club was my first exposure to reading scientific papers and presenting. Journal Club helped me digest scientific literature and populate deliverables based on literature reviews, and provide presentations. The STEM Scholars program contributed to the building of soft skills in the world of science and supported my success in science. Lastly, Supplemental Instruction granted me time to work one-on-one with professors teaching mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses, and encouraged diving deeper into the topics with challenging questions, to spark my critical thinking and analysis. Altogether, my first semester at Massasoit enabled me to build a strong foundation both inside and outside of the classroom.

After the end of my freshman year, my chemistry professor recommended that I apply to summer research programs, to find something more of interest. I applied to one Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Boston University in the Chemistry Department. Ironically, I received the notification of acceptance during my chemistry class, and I cried tears of joy. I was overwhelmed with joy, but also nerves, as I had never left home before. I accepted the position and lived in Boston for 12 weeks while working full-time in a research lab, and engaging in career-building workshops.

My experience at Boston University is unlike any other. I learned to become more independent in my personal life, as I lived and navigated the city of Boston. My Principal Investigator (PI) saw something in me and enabled me to work in his organic chemistry lab, even though I had never seen a benzene ring before. Throughout the summer, I optimized conditions for a novel vanadium (V) catalyst, as well as performed other experiments to test new ideas that the lab had. I networked with a lot of academic and industry-level scientists, and even some patent law lawyers.

While at my community college, I was a part of the Commonwealth Honors Program, where I completed two independent research papers. I transformed two of my chemistry classes into honors courses, where I was able to pursue research under the mentorship of my professor. My first paper focused on how the potential of hydrogen (pH) plays a role and affects the delivery of anti-cancer drugs. I was able to utilize my chemistry knowledge and apply it to my interest in cancer. I went on to present my research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Undergraduate Research Conference in spring of 2022 and Massasoit Community College's Honors Project Symposium. I completed a second paper focusing on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and its application to cancer biology, and presented my findings at the UMass Amherst Undergraduate Research Conference in spring of 2023.

Throughout my community college career, I learned to manage my time. One semester, I was taking all science and math courses, and working in a stressful position, while balancing many jobs and extracurriculars, leading to 50 to 60 hours of work outside of my endless homework. My grade in Physics I slowly declined as I was focusing too much on Calculus II, and neither class was seeing improvement, and I was burnt out. I withdrew from physics, due to my lack of time management, and always saying yes to everything. The next semester, I retook Physics I, received an A, left my toxic work environment, and cut down my work hours. I learned how to set boundaries, and not to push myself past my limits. Also, at my community college, a lot of the student population identified as first-generation college students; however, at larger institutions like Northeastern University, not many students identify as first-generation. At my community college, we had a large student support program to support the promotion and success of first-generation students in college. In that same program, I served as Peer Mentor for two years to help share my personal story as a first-generation student.

In the spring of 2023, I obtained my AS in Chemistry. That summer, I went on to complete an internship through Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC). The program focused on eliminating disparities in cancer treatment and integrated workshops for career development and exploration, and I participated in events at Harvard Medical School (HMS). I had the pleasure of working in an ovarian cancer lab at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and HMS. I worked full-time throughout the summer internship learning about the importance of translational research in ovarian cancer, the limited ovarian cancer research being conducted, and the overall impact of finding the cell of origin of ovarian cancer. In the lab, I learned a lot of transferable, basic molecular biology skills like polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, and cell culture. I learned and grew as a scientist, but was often defeated by imposter syndrome. I would look around to find someone who looked like me, but there was no one. Some people came from a family of doctors, others had the advantage of studying internationally, and it was very male-dominated on the entire floor. However, I never let imposter syndrome get to me, as I was and am paving my own path, and creating stories to share with others to empower them.

After the internship program ended, I returned as a mentor to the high school students who intern through Harvard Summer School Programs. I worked in small groups and provided one-on-one college advice to students who are usually underrepresented in medicine, such as women and minoritized people. I assisted in guiding our next generation of scientists and health care providers by sharing my unique journey.

By the fall of 2023, I transferred to Northeastern University, in Boston, where I am working towards my dual Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemistry with a concentration in Chemical Biology, and BS in Biology. I am on the pre-MD/PhD path, with hopes of becoming an oncologist. While at Northeastern, I have completed upper-level chemistry courses, including graduate-level coursework, including nucleic acid chemistry. Shortly, I will be enrolled in Organic Chemistry III and inorganic chemistry courses.

Photo: Savannah Murphy volunteering during National Chemistry Week 2023, at the Boston Children's Museum.

Outside of the classroom, you will find me at NUSAACS, which is the Northeastern University Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (ACS). I sit in on weekly presentations from chemists and other scientists in the field. I even met Dr. André Issacs! Last semester, I helped develop the Northeastern University Future in Science Conference, during which I leveraged my network for panelists to speak at the event and share their journey in science. Additionally, I volunteer at local museums to promote science and STEM literacy through interactive experiments, presented to children. I have been named an ACS Scholar through the American Chemical Society, and notably, I have been selected as a 2024 Blueprint Medicines ACS Scholar. At Northeastern, I am a Women's Research Engagement Network (WREN) Scholar, and I serve as a mentor to Jumpstart, which is composed of underclassmen who have not yet been exposed to research but are eager to get started in a lab.

I love mentoring, as I never had a mentor, role model, or anyone to look up to when I was younger. I hope to give back in that way, as to make sure no one feels lost or unwanted in their desired field—and rather feels empowered and courageous to tackle research and everything it encompasses. I wish that I had had someone there for me, but I think that the lack of support only made me stronger. I was able to freely think, and I found my mentors when I was already in my field of interest. However, I think at the high school level, and early parts of college, mentorship from peers can be game-changing. Peers are transparent with their experiences, as they are living it, and can directly connect you to opportunities as they are actively pursuing their research.

Never be afraid, never hold yourself back, and do not be too harsh on yourself. I used to think, "I'm not good enough for this internship," I was not even going to apply there, and now these are the internships that I am achieving. I am doing what I thought was impossible, and realizing that nothing is impossible if you have the drive and passion for it. It only takes one person to see something in you, whether it is a mentor, PI, advisor, or teacher. Similarly, do not feed into imposter syndrome. Everyone says that everyone faces imposter syndrome, and that is true! However, it will slowly wear off once you get to where you are meant to be. If something feels wrong, or like a red flag, it is. Some labs can be clique-y, toxic, and competitive, and you are so much better than that. Never feel like you have to stay anywhere, research is everywhere, and new opportunities will come. Positively take criticism and feedback, and grow as much as you can! Find your passion from within. My approach to science is from a chemical point-of-view integrated with my understanding of biological complexes and systems, complemented by my love of hematology, oncology, and immunology, and my drive for advancements in cancer.

I hope that you find your own path and do not let anything get in the way if it is something that you want!