CARMELLA BRITT '08
Hometown: Ashland, Massachusetts
Major: Africana Studies
Minor: Chemistry

"Wellesley's motto, 'Women who will make a difference in the world,' is a source of inspiration that keeps me going."
- Carmella

"The summer following my first year, I was able to obtain an internship doing cancer research in the Department of Vascular Biology at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard University. Under the guidance of a Wellesley alumna, Dr. Sandra Ryeom '89. I studied angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels to support tumor growth."
- Carmella

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FAVORITE COURSES:   As an Africana Studies major and a Chemistry minor, I am able to combine my passion for my history with my fascination of science. Some may see these subject areas as separate, but I see the two as related. It is amazing when I am able to discuss a piece of information from an Africana Studies class with a Chemistry professor and watch the two worlds meet.  

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - RESEARCH: Wellesley has afforded me opportunities that I would have never thought possible. The summer following my first year, I was able to obtain an internship doing cancer research in the Department of Vascular Biology at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard University. Under the guidance of a Wellesley alumna, Dr. Sandra Ryeom '89, I studied angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels to support tumor growth.

Another unique opportunity from my summer research experience was the chance to work with Dr. Judah Folkman, the "father" of the angiogenesis field.  Dr. Folkman is the chairman of the Vascular Biology Division. My experience during that summer has opened my eyes to another part of the medical field. Now I am working towards becoming a pediatric oncological surgeon, and I hope to continue with research in this field.

DREAM JOB: Doctor. Many young people think of giving only after they have achieved their personal academic and career goals. Others choose to make their fortune first and follow up by turning to the world and sharing a few dollars. The global challenge of providing healthcare to the poor may not be something that I will be able to accomplish now, but it's something I strive for. I am determined to be a physician with a passion for serving in the communities where my skills are needed most.  

My civic and career goals can be attributed, in part, to my unique background. My maternal great-grandfather, as a boy, left the impoverished island of San Andres in Columbia to study medicine at Columbia University. He went on to become the first African American dean of Meharry Medical School. My paternal great-grandmother was a hotel maid whose devotion to her immediate and extended family resulted in numerous children (now adults) whose lives were either extended or put on the path to success as a result of her service. A physician and a hotel maid whose lives touched many people in many ways are the roots of my passion to serve and to give to others.

I enjoy sharing my interest in science with the Myrtle Baptist Church Girls' Science Club. With this organization, I see the direct impact that female college students have on girls interested in the sciences. I want more young girls to realize that a career in the sciences is possible.