Samantha Gonzalez

Current Position: Senior QC Associate

Story Last Updated: Summer 2024

The faculty at GMercyU never made you feel like you were alone on your journey.

Journey to GMercyU

Samantha Gonzalez attended Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School and was a member of their inaugural graduating class in 2016.

As a rising senior, Samantha knew she wanted to attend a local school to continue helping her mother who had recently been diagnosed with MS.

The intense curriculum in Cristo Rey's work study program helped guide Samantha through the college admissions process.

"This was especially important to me because, as a first-generation college student, I did not know what to expect or where to find financial assistance or scholarships to help me start my career, but Cristo Rey steered me in the right direction," Samantha said. 

Cristo Rey highly encouraged students to participate in career-driven opportunities, such as attending Instant Decision days. It was at one of these days that Samantha first heard about GMercyU.

I remember GMercyU being the first school that I was going to get interviewed by and the first university that gave me an acceptance letter. I remember receiving that acceptance letter and being overfilled with joy. Not only was I making my parents and teachers proud, but I vowed to try and give my parents the better life they deserved.

The next step for Samantha was being accepted into the Biology program. Her initial meeting with Dr. Michelle McEliece is what sold her on attending GMercyU. 

"I could see her passion for teaching and mentoring students, which I desperately wanted, especially because I was starting to feel alone in my career journey," Samantha said.

At that meeting, Dr. McEliece shared information on the courses, structure of her classes, and the opportunities presented to GMercyU students through hands-on learning, laboratory skills, communication, and research. 

Experience as a Cristo Rey Student

Cristo Rey is a college preparatory school created for students of all faiths in a work study program format. The school recognizes and acknowledges the importance of how quality education can help to improve lives. Low-income families that suffer from the systemic failure of receiving quality secondary school education were provided that quality education at Cristo Rey.

The work study program at Cristo Rey was designed so students work one day per week at a Philadelphia business that pays for a substantial portion of the students' education costs. Through this program, students learn and practice critical social and workplace readiness skills, and it gives students the ability to gain a quality education and work experience that prepares them for college. 

"I gained work experience and exposure to different fields and career opportunities, which steered me to GMercyU's Biology program," Samantha said. 

Involvement on Campus

On campus, Samantha was a member of E-STEM and the Student Association of Science (SAS). 

"In E-STEM, I was challenged to see ethical problems that occur in my career and how to approach them. E-STEM allowed students to build the ethical framework needed to make a positive difference in STEM fields and the workforce," Samantha said. 

In SAS, Samantha gathered with fellow science lovers on campus to conduct experiments, hang out, and organize fundraisers for future projects. Members also worked to spread awareness of global warming and the ecosystem.

Experience in the Biology Program

Samantha graduated in May 2020 with her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry.

Within GMercyU's program, Samantha was taught modern laboratory techniques and gained research experience, giving her the practical hands-on experimental skills that are critical in her career.

During my time at GMercyU, I did a wide variety of research, where I gained hands-on experience by performing experiments to better understand different scientific approaches, techniques, and requirements.

An example of a hands-on experience is when Samantha studied the fertilization of sea urchins. She examined differential gene expression in slime molds and identified soil dwelling bacteria in aquatic environments. 

Samantha had the privilege of presenting her thesis at GMercyU's Annual Research Conference. In her presentation she discussed the effectiveness of antimicrobial compounds in fish mucus against human pathogens.

Additionally, Samantha gained exposure to a wide variety of modern instruments in the fields of biology and chemistry, including electrophoresis, gram staining equipment, distillation techniques, sterile techniques, and culturing bacteria and mammalian cell structures.

"My time at GMercyU was filled with mentors and advisors who motivated and supported me all throughout my academic and career journey while exposing me to different lab skills and enhancing my passion for science with their lectures and hands-on lab experience. I was fortunate enough to work with faculty who have shown me how to hone my observational and analytical skills," Samantha said.

Outstanding Faculty

Throughout my time at GMercyU, Dr. McEliece and Dr. Lettini helped guide me and shape me into the person I am today. I will forever be grateful for Cristo Rey for introducing me to GMercyU. However, my relationships and passion grew with the faculty and staff at GMercyU.

Samantha recalled seeing the passion Dr. McEliece and Dr. Lettini had for their students to succeed during labs and lectures. She constantly felt motivated by them to perform better and they encouraged her to recognize her potential within the field of science.

"Because of them, I am able to work in a team as well as independently, multi-task, problem solve, and communicate effectively with others. I am filled with gratitude to express my passion for biology and chemistry as a relation of what I saw in lab and lecture," Samantha said. 

Why GMercyU?

"My favorite and most grateful part of GMercyU was the connections I established with my peers and mentors," Samantha said.

The small class sized allowed Samantha to create those connections with professors. Every professor treated all students the same and no students were ignored.

We all were given the confidence and boost of motivation to use our voice and have our voices heard. Not only were the faculty amazing, but students were also given opportunities to work with modern technology and experience faculty to aid in grad school or in whatever future a student chooses.

Post-Graduation

After graduating from GMercyU, Samantha worked as a research technician at Thomas Jefferson University in the Orthopedic Surgery Department. In this role, she was a member of a team investigating the effects of a variety of plasma treatments on orthopedic arthritis patients undergoing surgery. Samantha primarily focused on using histological techniques on muscle sections of rats to determine the effects on infected and non-infected muscle from plasma treatments.

Currently, Samantha is a biological researcher at Teva Pharmaceuticals in the quality control department. There, she takes part in special projects. For example, she conducts in-use studies for toxicological students and supplemental variations in support of manufacturing operations. Additionally, Samantha focuses on the release and stability testing of drug substance and drug product as well as assisting with sample and standard management activities.

In October 2024 she will be promoted to Senior QC Associate.