Academics
Pre-Med Biology Student Lands Internship at Stowers Institute and Publishes Article in Scientific Journal
Emily Wesley has always been fascinated by science. Some of her most vivid childhood memories are of reading infographic books about the human body and creating quizzes for her parents from her nature encyclopedia.
Wesley lost both her parents at a young age; her mother died from brain cancer when she was 8 years old and her father died from a stroke when she was 15. While she says she still struggles with grief, she was inspired by one of the doctors who was caring for her father while he was in the hospital, which further cemented her resolve to study medicine and science. Today she has a great internship at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, founded a Pre-Med Peer Mentoring Program at UMKC and was first author on a paper in the research magazine Chromosoma, a significant achievement for an undergraduate researcher.
“During my time at UMKC, I have learned that success is obtained through hard work and determination. I’ve reached out to people who have been willing to mentor me and I’ve learned that I can use my time and energy to help others. I struggle with grief daily, but I find meaning through the struggle and tackle every day with the passion and strength that my parents instilled in me.”
