GSRI Alumni Profiles

Thomas Henning_Hometown_{: Philadelphia, PA}_Currently_{: Graduate School Research at Caltech}_{Interests and Hobbies}_{: Meme curation, working out, Map Games}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: Meeting other graduate students.}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Be outgoing, everyone is looking to make friends and the more you out yourself out there the more friends/experiences you'll have.}

_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT THOMAS}

Isaryhia Rodriguez_Hometown_{: San Diego, CA}_Currently_{: Since the GSRI program I have been complying my first year research rotations, TAship, and classes. Now I am preparing to complete my third and final rotation to develop my skills and officially join my PhD laboratory this summer! Additionally, I have been staying involved with the SFP office to organize some time to open discussions with other first generation low income graduate students and involved in planning the Caltech Shines recruitment event as part of the committee and volunteering as part of the Visiting Scientist program as part of the Caltech Third grade team at a local elementary school.}_{Interests and Hobbies}_{: I love reading, naps, the occasional walk in nature and spending my free time enjoying much needed self-care or volunteering. I also have a passion for sharing my own experiences and advice through mentorship so don't be afraid to reach out!}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: My favorite part of my GSRI experience has to be the people, it was and remains a wonderful opportunity to build a community at Caltech across many divisions and options as well as get connected and become a part of the work being done to make Caltech a more accessible and inclusive place for students from all backgrounds to enrich. Additionally gaining access and information about the resources available to us and being able to connect ideas of resource to the faces and people behind them to open doors and windows to make getting all the help you need all the more easy!}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Take your time! Graduate school is a marathon and as much as you want to run as fast as you can remember it's about consistency and endurance not about speed. Get to know your peers and start building your community as much as it may not feel like it life is a team sport so make sure you invest in gaining resources for yourself and your peers and create lasting and supportive contacts wherever and whenever possible. Finally trust yourself, your instincts and all of the talent and ability you are bringing forward!}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ISARYHIA}

Jacob Parres-Gold_Hometown_{: Los Angeles, CA}_Currently_{: I'm in my first year of the graduate school in the biochemistry & molecular biology (BMB) program at Caltech! I'm currently in my second of three lab rotations.}_{Interests and Hobbies}_{: I like to try new restaurants with my friends, cook, and do parkour at various gyms.}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: My favorite part, by far, was getting to know some of the other first-year graduate students. It's so great to make those friends early on, and also to have people to wave to on campus!}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Try to find people you click with, and get their contact info!}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT JACOB}

Josh Anandu_Hometown_{: Katy, TX}_Currently_{: Caltech Graduate Student}_{Interests & Hobbies}_{: Vinyl Collector, Jiu Jitsu, Stand-Up Comedian}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: The friends I made!}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Meet the other students! It's fun to hang out and just seeing them around is comforting.}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT JOSH}

Adiel Perez_Hometown_{: Los Angeles, CA}_Currently_{: I am currently doing graduate research in Linda Hsieh-Wilson Lab in the department of chemistry and chemical engineering. I am studying carbohydrate chemistry and molecular neuroscience. Specifically, investigating the role of heparan sulfate in adhesion and formation of synapses.}_{Interests & Hobbies}_{: Outside of academics, I enjoy driving around the city exploring new restaurants and places. I love traveling! Being at the beach during the weekends and visiting new cities.}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: My favorite part of GSRI was the opportunities set for us to bond with other incoming students from diverse backgrounds at Caltech. Including the workshops, dining, and group trips we had during the summer. I got to make friends and establish connections which has made transitioning to graduate studies smoother. Being part of GSRI has installed a sense of community in me at Caltech.}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Take advantage of the network opportunities during the workshops and lunches with faculty and guests. There are many resources available at Caltech and GSRI will introduce you with them.}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ADIEL}

Judah Bates_Hometown_{: Anaheim, CA}_Currently_{: I'm currently studying Huntington's disease in the Niles Pierce Lab, as a G1 bioengineer.}_{Interests & Hobbies}_{: I'm an assistant coach for the women's basketball team, and recreational cyclist.}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: I really benefited from getting to know other people who were new to the graduate school experience and/or had unconventional research backgrounds.}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Ask as many questions as you can - you can only benefit from having as much knowledge at your disposal when making the decisions that will shape your experience at the institution.}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT JUDAH}

Alejandro Cabrera-Cortez_Hometown_{: Sonoma, CA}_Currently_{: I am investigating the unique metabolism of manganese oxidizing bacteria in the Leadbetter Lab. I am also researching how sulfur isotopes fractionate in plant tissues with the Session's lab.}_{Interests & Hobbies}_{: I am a pretty outdoorsy person so you'll usually find me hiking, biking, or identifying birds, insects and plants of the LA area. I also love to watch horror and sci-fi movies and playing video games on my Nintendo Switch.}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience}_{: Meeting all the other GSRI students and the amazing people from the SFP office! It's like a big family you can rely on.}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program}_{: Make sure you connect with the other students! I have been friends with them ever since and I'm so grateful for the community I was able to build from GSRI! Also, make sure you take advantage of the resources Caltech has for you. Many of the different program offices come in to talk to you and I have used all of the services presented!}
_{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ALEJANDRO}

Victor Zendejas Lopez
_Hometown: _{Hayward, CA}_Currently: _{I'm wrapping up first year coursework eager to start research this summer.}_{Interests & Hobbies:} _{Cars, food and video games!}_{Favorite part of your GSRI experience:} _{My favorite part of my GSRI experience was meeting other first year PhD students and learning about their stories and the obstacles they overcame.}_{Advice for students entering the GSRI program:} _{Take the time to build community and relationships. You'll be at Caltech for the next five years of your life -- you don't want to embark on this journey on your own.} _{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT VICTOR}

Sergio Esteban
_Hometown:_{Riverside, CA}_Currently:_{I work on developing new control frameworks for robotic locomotion in the Advanced Mechanical Bipedal Robotics (AMBER) Laboratory} _{Interests & Hobbies:}_{Playing electric guitar, boxing, and playing video games.} _{Favorite part of your GSRI experience:}_{My favorite part of the GSRI experience was having the opportunity to network and meet new people!} _{Advice for students entering the GSRI program:}_{Have fun and try to meet new people. It's also valuable to really understand what resources you have at Caltech. Knowing what resources you have will help you tackle grad school!} _{CLICK HERE TO CONTACT SERGIO}