Her Campus Journey

A grade school experiment involving crustaceans spurred senior Samantha Ecsedy’s passion for biology and STEM subjects.

“When I was in third grade my school rotated teachers, and through the teacher I had for biological sciences, we learned about crawdads. We got to raise them, which sealed my interest in biological science,” she confides. “As I went through elementary school, I started to discover I found science and math something that intrigued me, and I excelled in those topics over history and English,” Ecsedy said.

The goal of helping people

Ecsedy realized she wanted to work in a helping profession where she could positively impact people’s lives after participating in a sixth-grade career project and hearing about a loved one planning for heart surgery.

“My classes in middle and high school confirmed the idea of my wanting to be a surgeon, especially after going through the process of my grandpa having to pick a cardiothoracic surgeon to replace the valve in his heart while I was in middle school. Seeing my grandpa go through this process and hearing about the process of the surgery he was going to undergo helped me understand that not only did I want to go into medicine, but also I wanted to become a surgeon,” Ecsedy said.

Ecsedy said she sees the value in supporting others through work and has always known she would like to help others in her career. She added that she inherently believes such behavior has a net positive effect on society, saying if people learned to help each other more, the world would be a better place.

A springboard to medical school 

Like many of the students currently enrolled at California Lutheran University, Ecsedy began her first year during the coronavirus surge, which heavily influenced her choice to attend Cal Lutheran.

“Any college decision is a big milestone in your life. I feel my choice was even bigger because I had to decide my future during such a time of uncertainty in 2020 at the prime time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ecsedy said. “It was this contributing factor that ultimately led to my decision that I would feel safest going to a school that kept me close to my home and family.”

Her first year as a virtual student proved demanding, yet Ecsedy stresses Cal Lutheran made her transition from online to in-person seamless. Her classes and her job at the College of Arts and Sciences completely occupy her time. 

As a dual major in biochemistry and molecular biology with an emphasis in pre-med, Ecsedy has spent many hours in laboratory settings. Lab work served as an attestation of her desire to study medicine to become a practicing OB-GYN, what Ecsedy calls her “long-term career goal.”

Classes that cemented Ecsedy's pursuit of an MD are integral to her undergraduate studies, and her professors have demonstrated how her coursework relates to her professional aspirations. 

“Biochemistry, Biology Lab 425, with Dr. Michael Abdelsayed had a big impact on me. The way he taught this course helped me. Dr. Abdelsayed employs  ‘bad examples of the day,’ where he uses physical objects in the classroom and tries to show us the mechanism that we are learning in live form. It is the way he makes learning fun that makes these difficult topics seem less daunting. I struggled the previous semester in another course, and this class helped affirm my love for science and proved that I could make it through my studies,” Ecsedy said.

She also cites Kate Hoffmann, PhD, as a motivational force. “I loved Quantitative Analysis and Quantitative Analysis Lab with Dr. Hoffmann and her practical teaching style,” Ecsedy said. “She made the class very applicable to my career.”

Laboratory classes pointed Ecsedy to go in the direction of medical school, where she could directly care for people, and avoid the route of medical research and clinical trials.

“Doing research and specific lab classes have shown me that I want to go into a more active role as a physician,” Ecsedy said.

“I feel my studies at Cal Lutheran have affirmed my life goals and the specific field of medicine I want to pursue,” Ecsedy said. “I have always dreamed of becoming a surgeon; this major is a stepping stone to completing this process.”

Gaining practical experience outside the classroom

When she is not in class, Ecsedy works in the College of Arts and Sciences as a student assistant in the Dean’s Office. She has had this role for the past two years, performing a variety of duties such as creating an organizational chart, reviewing syllabi, and building a manual for the administrative assistant to use to help conduct faculty searches.

What Ecsedy appreciates the most about her work is having a hand in the College’s social media postings. She showcases her creativity by designing graphics using the program Canva for the posts that appear on the College’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

“I feel like every day I am working on a new project which I love,” Ecsedy said. “I enjoy that the job is always interesting, and there is always something new to work on.”

Her time in an office environment has given her knowledge of the procedures that drive business, something she can use in her career as a physician.

“Working at the college has helped me understand the office and administration work and has helped give me skills that if I do decide to open my practice one day, I would feel confident enough in laying the groundwork,” Ecsedy said.

This spring, Ecsedy will graduate from Cal Lutheran a year earlier than planned. She is using this time to focus on preparing for medical school and the application process. She hopes to find a job post-graduation where she can gather the needed clinical experience to gain acceptance to a variety of medical programs, including Baylor College of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Belmont College of Medicine, Duke, and Georgetown.

Although Ecsedy acknowledges her path to medical school will be competitive, her studies have readied her for the road ahead. Despite her busy schedule, she cherishes her time at Cal Lutheran.

“I have come to love my journey and the life I have built through this campus,” Ecsedy said.