‘It’s been really rewarding’

Biochemistry major Julissa Chavana graduates early

By California State University, Bakersfield

December 15^th, 2023

Biochemistry major Julissa Chavana has been determined to make the most out of her time at California State University, Bakersfield. In addition to graduating high school in 2020 and spending her first college years online because of the pandemic, she was also committed to earning her degree early, meaning she would have even less time to get a traditional college experience.

Chavana’s answer to that was to get involved with as much as she could during her time on campus before graduating early, which she will now do after just three-and-a-half years at CSUB. From research to student government, Chavana happily kept herself busy with extracurriculars among full course loads.

“I feel experiences like that teach you how to communicate, how to collaborate, how to take on the lead, and it of course helps you build relationships,” Chavana, 21, said. “It’s been really rewarding, and now leaving here I know I’ll have contacts for many years to come.”

Originally from Wasco before her family moved to Bakersfield, Chavana remembered initially feeling like the options for her future were limited because of adverse stereotypes imposed on women. That changed during her sophomore year at Frontier High School.

“When I took chemistry, my teacher really encouraged me to try hard in that course,” Chavana said. “I think all the time and work I put into that made me feel like I could do something with chemistry.”

With her eye on a career in the sciences, Chavana knew she wanted to complete her bachelor’s degree early, which she was able to make happen thanks to dual-enrollment classes and advanced placement tests as a high schooler. When it came time to apply for college, CSUB felt like the right fit for her.

“I came to the realization that I didn’t feel ready to leave,” she said. “I was mature for my age, but I don’t think I was mature enough to move on and grow at a big university. I wanted to grow up in a smaller university, get to know myself and not be bombarded by external things on a bigger campus.”

After starting at CSUB as a chemistry major, Chavana found she was more interested in the biological side and switched her focus to biochemistry. One of her favorite classes was a nucleic acids lab with lecturer Rachel Oldfield. An organic chemistry class with Dr. Jesse Bergkamp initially posed a challenge for Chavana and she had to retake the class after failing her first attempt. She said she appreciated that Dr. Bergkamp never made her feel lesser for needing a second try and that he always made her feel like she had potential.

“A couple things I see with her are grit and resilience,” Dr. Bergkamp said. “She just keeps going. She never gives up, which is awesome. And she’s not afraid to interact with faculty. She treats everybody the same, her peers and faculty. She laughs and jokes with everybody. It’s been a great pleasure to have her as a biochem major in the department.”

Chavana took the opportunity to get involved with research on campus, working with Dr. Hanoz Santoke and studying the degradation of pharmaceuticals in water. In the lab, she works with a solar simulator and a UV radiator to study how pharmaceuticals break down in the water in both natural environments and in those found in wastewater treatment plants. Recently, she’s worked with hydroxyzine, an antihistamine. When it degrades, she’s found, it reacts with other molecules and creates a byproduct.

She initially chose Dr. Santoke’s lab because she was considering going to pharmacy school after CSUB. That goal changed, she said, but the experience did ignite a passion for environmental chemistry. She likes that it allows her to still help people’s health while working independently in a lab.

“It’s just the analytical thinking and pondering for hours on something that keeps me going, because it’s almost like a puzzle sometimes,” said Chavana, who is also part of the President’s Associates research program. “Science is continuously progressing, so I think you always have something to learn. I like being challenged like that. I think I just like the rigorousness of it.”

Dr. Santoke has been impressed by Chavana's work in his lab and said he looks forward to seeing what she will accomplish after graduation.

"Julissa has been an excellent researcher and has gained experience that will be very valuable in the future," he said. "Not only has she learned the basics of photochemistry and kinetics, but she has also become an expert in troubleshooting equipment. In addition, she has presented her work at an American Chemical Society (ACS) national conference, where she received excellent feedback."

Within the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering's Chemistry Department, Chavana found a network of support, with faculty and staff that has helped her grow.

“The connections I have with the whole department, that’s been really encouraging and really fun,” she said. “I think that’s something I’m going to miss the most and makes it hard to leave. It’s definitely bittersweet because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Out of the classroom and lab, Chavana also spent some time working in Associated Students, Inc., first filling in for two months as director of community outreach and then later as vice president of finance for a year. In her second role, she worked with campus clubs to fund and promote events. An avid photographer, she also took photos for a number of campus activities as well.

“I wanted to get involved because I’ve always been interested in giving back,” Chavana said. “I think it’s rooted from high school; I was in clubs like Interact and we constantly practiced service above self. I just really like being able to be in the position to take people’s opinions or feedback on a higher scale. I feel like a lot of people either don’t have the courage to do so or aren’t given the opportunity to, so I really took that to heart.”

After successfully finishing her degree early while staying active on campus, Chavana is now looking to the future. She’s applied for a Fulbright scholarship to potentially research at a university in Sweden for nine months, as well as graduate programs both in state and elsewhere. She won’t know what exactly is next for her until she begins hearing back from colleges in January.

Wherever she goes, Chavana is leaning toward a career in academia when she’s done with school.

“I really like what professors have done for me, and I hope to be able to pay that forward one day and have my research group and students I can mentor,” she said. “Especially with all the experiences I’ve gained, I feel like I’d fit that role.”

Chavana will have a large cheering section when she walks the stage at commencement this week, with her parents, younger brother, grandpa and a couple aunts and uncles in attendance. Looking back on her time at CSUB, she’s thankful for the impact it’s had on her life.

“I’ve grown so much compared to when I first got here,” she said. “I was so thrilled to be graduating but now I’m sad because I’ve grown very close to my department, and not seeing them every day is going to be super weird to me. Sometimes good things have to come to an end.”