Khadija's Aha! Moment

I am relentlessly pursuing a degree in biochemistry because of my high school teachers. As cliche as it sounds, my high school chemistry and biology teachers had the magic to keep me engaged and interested in the respective topics no matter how difficult they became. When the time came to pick a major; I chose biochemistry because it was a combination of my favorite subjects. Biochemistry is an extremely complex subject that painstakingly explains how biological systems work.

Like most decisions I make; I was not absolutely sure if I had chosen the right major. There have been a few moments that reassured me.

The first was when I finally understood my research. Research is such an impactful learning tool because it takes in class lessons and applies them to a scientific issue. It challenges you to think critically. Practically you are getting to use all that information you've been gathering; it gives a purpose to all that biology and chemistry in my head.

The other significant moment was when we covered hemoglobin in class. It is hard to not be in awe at the intricacy of the simple act of breathing after learning it. Don't even get me started on glycolysis and the TCA cycle.

The conclusion from this should be, whatever you end up choosing to do with your life; make sure it captivates you and you'll have fun.

This is my journey thus far. Wish me luck!

MEET A BOARD MEMBER: This is Khadija Moctar! "Hello! My name is Khadija Moctar and I am your trusted co-treasurer. I am a 4th year biochemistry major, graduating in 2019. I aspire to obtain my Ph.D. in the sciences. Currently I am doing research with Dr. Jheem Medh on expressing wild-type lipoprotein lipase to determine the structural components that are implicated in modulating cholesterol efflux. My job as treasurer is to fully realize and execute fundraisers that will finance our work in promoting the importance of science at local schools. We do this through year round scientific demonstrations." Meet Khadija and more club members at all our events! #CSUN #CSUNchemclub #ChemistryandBiochemistryClub #Chemclub #STEM #scientistswhoselfie

A post shared by CSUN Chemistry Club (@csunchemclub) on Oct 10, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT