Stephanie Camarena says she didn’t know anything about college before participating in a University of Michigan summer research program.
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Before her senior year at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, she joined D-RISE, an initiative that provides on-campus housing and research laboratory internships to Michigan high school students.
The program’s goal is to expose students to the research enterprise and inspire students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue a career in the sciences.
For Camarena, the program affirmed her passion for science and gave her an inside look into the world of higher education — a precious opportunity given that she would be a first-generation college student.
Along with gaining research experience at the School of Public Health, the program linked Camarena to various resources. She learned about financing her education from the Office of Financial Aid, and received feedback on her admissions essays from Sweetland Center for Writing tutors.
Camarena, now an LSA junior studying biochemistry and Spanish, still pursues laboratory research.
