Ruth Ramirez Hernandez
2028
Mooresville, North Carolina
Biology & Music
Hello, my name is Ruth Ramirez Hernandez and in the future, I plan on becoming a facial reconstructive surgeon. Oftentimes, the face is the most noticeable aspect of an individual upon first meeting them. I hope to bring an easier day-to-day to my future patients by improving their facial features that have been altered due to trauma. This upcoming year, I will be working on researching Meeting the Need for Reconstructive Surgery in Palestine as this is a cause I am extremely passionate about.
This past year, I became a member of UNICEF to advocate for children's rights, equity, and uphold justice. I also am a staff writer for Vertices Science Magazine to have an outlet to share my interest in recent science news. In the spring, I volunteered with the Health Profession Recruitment and Exposure Program Volunteer (HPREP) to help guide and uplift high schoolers who are in the same position I was in just a few years ago; HPREP aims to aid high schoolers interested in medicine with a curiosity for the various fields of healthcare. Outside of these actives, I love playing piano (I love Chopin), making bead animals or jewelry, and listening to music.
In high school, I attended an early college and completed the majority of my high school classes by the end of my sophomore year and graduated with my Associate in Science. I also attended North Carolina Governor's School for Natural Science in 2023 and I was able to explore marine biology, paleontology, and philosophy. My senior year, I was a part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Alliance - Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, I was able to discover a microphage, Htur, through direct isolation. Alongside my classmates, I was also able to annotate its sequence and draft a research paper on Htur and another microphage, Yeti. These two activities have been my driving factors in igniting my interest to major in Biology and continuing to write for Vertices Science Magazine.
“Becoming a Cardea Fellow has helped me feel secure in navigating college as a first-generation college student as well as providing strong community and guidance. There is never a moment where I feel unsure of my future, as Cardea has provided me with a view of what the rest of my professional future holds.”