“For me, it’s really empowering. Now I know I can do anything that I want to do. ... Bridgewater gave me hope.”
海伦娜Beeloo, ’24, came to Bridgewater State unsure if she would be successful, and for a good reason: her doctor told her she would not be able to physically handle a full course load.
但海伦娜, who has a rare genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, was determined to succeed. And BSU provided a supportive atmosphere in which to take classes and conduct original research.
“For me, it’s really empowering,” said 海伦娜, a transfer student who graduated last weekend with a 物理 学位. “Now I know I can do anything that I want to do. ... Bridgewater gave me hope.”
Growing up, 海伦娜 was prone to injury, a trend initially dismissed as clumsiness. But the symptoms didn’t subside and a curious 海伦娜 researched what was amiss. Studying her symptoms sparked an interest in bio物理 that persisted at BSU.
Doctors eventually diagnosed her with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects many parts of her body. Her joints are very stretchy, putting her at risk of frequently dislocating her shoulders, 臀部和膝盖. She used a feeding tube for more than a year because she was unable to digest solid foods.
结果是, 海伦娜 took a leave of absence from her first college and exceeded the time that institution allowed students to spend away from the classroom. Seeking a new university close to her Whitman home, 海伦娜 turned to Bridgewater State, 她妈妈在哪里?, Heather Bond-Beeloo, ’16, earned a math 学位.
“It was a good thing because I love Bridgewater so much more,” 海伦娜 said. “我感到被支持了。.”
In the months leading up to her first class, Dr. Thaya Paramanathan welcomed her to meetings of his single-molecule bio物理 lab. She made friends and felt at home as a Bear before completing her first assignment.
Working with lab partner 亚伦费雷拉,’24, 海伦娜 studied how the chemotherapy drug Mitoxantrone interacts with single molecules of DNA. They used optical tweezers (built by previous BSU undergraduates) that use finely focused lasers to trap and examine microscopic particles.
海伦娜, who praised Aaron for taking on any tasks she couldn’t physically perform, hopes the research will assist doctors in determining the minimum effective dosage.
“Doing undergraduate research showed me that I do have a future in this field,” she said. “I do belong as a physicist.”
Paramanathan, an associate professor of 物理, photonics and optical engineering, has no doubt that 海伦娜 will continue to succeed. He’s impressed by her ability to teach her peers challenging material and her knowledge in 物理 as well as chemistry, biology and computer science.
“She’s one of the best students I’ve ever had,” Paramanathan said. “She’s capable of doing anything.”
海伦娜 is pursuing opportunities to teach high school 物理, and may consider graduate school in the future. She hopes to become a college professor, a career aspiration shaped by Paramanathan and others she met at BSU.
“As a professor, I can continue to learn forever, which is thrilling,” she said. “I know what it’s like to have a mentor change your life, and I want to be that person for someone else.”
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