Giselle Montemayor
Name: Gisselle Montemayor
Age: 22
Major: Biomedical Sciences
College: Health Affairs
Hometown: McAllen, Texas
High School: James Nikki Rowe High School
Why UTRGV?
I chose UTRGV because I was offered a full ride for all four years of college and I would still be able to pursue a degree in what I was interested in. I am a very family-oriented person so staying here I felt would be the best decision for me. Many people don’t realize that the RGV is growing and changing, providing many opportunities that the generations before us didn’t have. Here I am four years later, debt free and pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences.
What made you decide on your current major?
I have always been a kid whose big interest was towards medicine. Living in the RGV we’re surrounded by individuals who suffer from their own medical conditions, so growing up and watching my aunts all give my grandmother her insulin inclined me to go down that path and learn the science of what happens on the biological side of conditions and how I can help those affected.
How are you maneuvering being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Being an in-person learner made the transition to online learning very hard. I can say I slacked off a bit during that first COVID semester but after grasping the feeling I got the hang of it and realized I just need to have more discipline in my zoom classes.
What are your greatest strengths and what are some challenges?
Some strengths I have gotten thanks to COVID have been maneuvering the computer with ease. I learned how to interact with other students and get the most out of our current situation, especially while working for UTRGV’s Leadership and Mentoring office. We needed to due a lot of online planning and events for students to get the most they could out of their online time in university. A tough thing is that I had to spend my last year of university all primarily online.
What do you hope to achieve beyond completion of your major?
I would like to become a pediatrician and work here in my home region of the RGV. I would like to be apart of the change and evolution that southern Texas is going through. I want to give back to the communities and people I grew up with as well as spread more information regarding physical and mental health here in the Valley.
What do you like most about UTRGV?
The best part of UTRGV has to be the community and the people there. Although many of us stayed in our hometown for college, the campus offered so many events and clubs to get student activity to be high. Especially while working for the campus, I felt very involved. UTRGV also embraces our Hispanic culture but never forgets to make all cultures/ethnicities involved.
What does being a Vaquero mean to you?
Although I have only just graduated, I know UTRGV will always be a home and continue to have opportunities for me. I am extremely proud to be a part of UTRGV and be part of an ever-growing community. This University has opened many opportunities for individuals all over the RGV, especially with the medical school that opened and provided health clinics around different cities to help those underserved. That is something I am proud of.
What opportunities has UTRGV helped you find throughout your community?
I was able to work under UTRGV’s Leadership and Mentoring office and participate in various events and organizations that promote academic and cultural values. From always promoting knowledge of different ethnicities to providing leadership conferences and lessons to our students that will help them succeed in life has been a wonderful opportunity. I am thankful I got to work under supervisors Raul Leal and Vanessa Sandoval that sincerely care about the success and well being of UTRGV’s students. I am also thankful that UTRGV not only gave me the opportunity to do research on spinal cord injuries but present my research in various conferences in Texas but also at the American Society of Neurorehabilitation conference in Chicago. I was able to do this with a great professor at UTRGV Dr. Kelsey Baker who became my research mentor.
What advice do you have for fellow students pursuing degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Although it may be tough to focus and learn during the online learning switch its important to continuously remind yourself to focus but also not beat yourself up over it if you get distracted. The more you push yourself the easier it will be. Also, get a planner! Doing homework while being home might sound like an easy task, but it is much more difficult to manage due dates and assignments when there’s four of them all due by the end of the week.