Martin, HWA-SF, Pursuing a PhD in Biology at MIT

A graduate of Lincoln High School, Martin found the college application process, “disheartening.” He applied to 20 colleges his senior year, hoping to be accepted into a 4-year university. “Nothing worked,” he says, and he spent his first two years at City College of San Francisco, eventually transferring to UC San Diego and graduating in August 2017 with a degree in Biology. “I originally wanted to pursue music but after interning at UCSF, an internship HWA helped me get, I saw a potential new career plan. Without HWA, I wouldn’t have been as motivated to pursue science.” For the past year, Martin has been conducting neuroscience research at the National Institute of Health, investigating the molecular basis of memory encoding. His work has appeared in two research publications and he’s spoken at national conferences, including one at Stanford University.

In Aug. 2018, he will begin work on his PhD in Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I felt very supported by HWA. I could give Vicky a call and she would help me with career advice, or just help me if I was having a difficult time.”