The term “our future self” has posed many unanswered questions during 2020-2021’s pandemic, but students at San Marin remain hopeful of their futures. Senior Mariya Klymenko, junior Sam Lin, and sophomore Sammie Lim discuss their “future selves” in five to ten years, attributing their career interests to the STEM and Biotech programs.
Klymenko has spent the last four years preparing for college where she hopes to major in biochemistry. She attributes her interest in science to the Biotechnology program at San Marin and her ultimate goal is to attend medical school after college to become a doctor.
“Trying to find out what is wrong with a patient is like a puzzle,” Klymenko said. “Because of that, every day would bring something new and interesting for me to do. This aspect of change, as well as meeting new people from different cultures, is what makes being a doctor most appealing to me.”
During her time at university, which she hopes is one in California with a strong science program, Klymenko plans to complete research requirements for medical school and take part in a volunteer trip across the country.
“Whether it is South America or Asia, I really want to experience how communities live and see what we can do in terms of medicine so more people can live better lives,” Klymenko said.
Sophomore Sammie Lim hopes to spend her days surrounded by nature, exploring cities with her friends, and working towards finding the cure to breast cancer. This, she said, would be the perfect career because she is “curious and passionate” about improving people’s lives.
Similar to Klymenko, Lim describes how San Marin’s Biotech program has played a huge role in her plans for the future. Lim hopes to major in biology at UC San Diego and spend time studying abroad.
“Being in the Biotech program has gotten me really interested in the study of life and how living things function, grow, adapt, evolve, etc,” Lim said. “In my free time though, I would love to travel and explore different parts of the world. I enjoy trying new foods and meeting new people.”
After college, Lim’s dream career is to work towards curing diseases as a medicinal scientist. Her ultimate goal is to improve people’s lives and she is particularly passionate about finding the cure to breast cancer.
“Two women who hold a special place in my heart have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past, and I think it would be such an accomplishment to finally find a cure in the future if we haven’t already,” Lim said.
In the future, Lim also hopes to live in either Oregon or Hawaii because of her love for nature. Some of her favorite memories have been hiking and taking pictures with her friends. A perfect day for her is spent exploring cities, watching the sunrise, dressing up, and sharing food with her friends in cute cafés.
“At the end of the day, we would drive anywhere and everywhere while blasting music and having the absolute time of our lives,” Lim said.
Lin has been in the STEM program for three years and hopes to attend college as a marketing or finance major in the future. His interest in these sectors is inspired by his parents and his favorite subject: math.
“I like math and it is something that I am good at,” Lin said. “Marketing and finance is also something that my parents recommended me to do.”
Lin explains that where he lives will depend on his income, but hopes to live in either the US or close to his family members in Asia so he can regularly visit them. In the future, Lin also wants to travel to Japan and have a family of his own.
“I want to have an office in my own house, work whenever, have my own schedule, and live off of that,” Lin said. “After work, I would hang out with the fam.”
The pandemic has put pressure on people across the country, but this year is not shy of big dreams and aspirations for students at San Marin.
