Written by: Amanda Lenell Roberts, MA
I am a PhD Candidate at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, Texas. I am currently studying Biomedical Science with a concentration in Visual Sciences at the North Texas Eye Research Institute. My PhD research project is understanding and identifying molecular mechanisms responsible for glaucomatous development within the trabecular meshwork of the eye.
Having a desire to expand my professional network, I chose to attend the 13thAnnual Texas Conference on Health Disparities at UNTHSC and presented my PhD research project. During the conference I approached Alexis Short. Alexis is the Digital Communications Strategist of the National Research Mentoring Network Resource Center located at UNTHSC. She introduced me to National Institute of Health (NIH) National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) program and explained the rewarding benefits it will provide for me as an NRMN mentee through the MyNRMN platform.
I knew from that point on I wanted to join the NRMN network. I was ready to connect with mentors who were successful professionals in the government, biomedical industry, and academia workforce sectors.
Becoming an NRMN mentee was one of the greatest graduate school career decisions I ever made. As a member of the NRMNetwork, I had the opportunity to share my impactful NRMN mentee experience as a panel member of the “NRMN Meet and Greet” event at the 2018 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in San Antonio, Texas. I also published two articles in the NRMN newsletter for July 2018 “Preparing Future Women STEM Leaders” and November 2018 “My First SACNAS Conference Was A Success”.
In January 2019 I co-hosted an NRMN Career Development Webinar: “How to Survive Grad School: How to Thrive Through Challenges”. In the webinar I spoke on mental health and how to survive graduate school in a healthy and productive way.
Alexis recognized that the NRMN platform had further expanded my passion to help students to reach their full potential. She encouraged me to start my own education blog, “Discover Success and Growth in Your Science Career”. In my education blog I share my graduate school experiences and career advice. My blog expanded my creative writing skills and motivated me to become an NRMN mentor for undergraduate students in 2019.
Overall, NRMN is an outstanding mentoring network that has taught me how to diversify my professional portfolio, provided me with amazing mentors who helped me to overcome personal and professional barriers, and advanced my professional connections with scientists at the National Institute of Health, Department of Defense, and universities. In addition the network has provided me with insightful career development videos to help assist me in becoming a successful Biomedical Scientist who will continue to make a positive impact in biomedical science research, decrease social barriers, and increase normative behaviors in welcoming a diverse research community.
Join NRMN network today. This amazing social networking and mentoring platform is here to help improve your undergraduate and graduate school experience. The NRMN network is your extended family of professionals, scientists, and professors who are rooting for you to succeed, will increase your self-confidence in completing your higher education degree, and provide you with amazing career advice. Click here to join!
Follow Amanda L. Roberts online:
Twitter: @3AmandaRoberts
Facebook: Science with Amanda Roberts
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-lenell-roberts/
email: robertslamanda@gmail.com
website: http://bit.ly/Amanda-L-Roberts