From her earliest days growing up in New York, #CaneGrad Adriana Mastrangelo, B.S.H.S. ’26, knew she wanted to become a physician. What began as a childhood dream—shaped by imagination, curiosity, and a close-knit Italian American upbringing—gradually became a clear, unwavering calling. “As long as I can remember, I was very interested in the idea of being a doctor,” she said. “By the time I was applying to college, doing something else wasn’t even a thought.”
Mastrangelo now stands at the threshold of her childhood dream—ready to apply to medical school and pursue a career in oncology. As a newly minted Bachelor of Science in Health Science graduate of the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, Mastrangelo addressed an audience of thousands at the Watsco Center the morning of May 7, as the Class of 2026 undergraduate commencement student speaker.
During college, Mastrangelo was recognized as a Canes Achievement Scholar and earned consistent academic distinctions, appearing on both the Provost’s and the President’s honor rolls. Her journey to Coral Gables, however, was not so clear-cut. Despite being a strong student who admits “school always came easy,” Mastrangelo struggled to find a college that truly felt like the right fit.
It was her father, a huge Hurricanes football fan, who prompted Mastrangelo to make a late campus visit. “As soon as I stepped on this campus, I knew,” she said. “Of all the schools I had visited, it was the first place where I could really see myself spending the next four years.”
The school offered her the top-tier R1 research institution she had been seeking coupled with a rigorous academic environment and a deeply supportive community. That sense of belonging proved transformative. It also offered the chance to room with her best friend from home.
However, like many high-achieving students used to school “coming easy,” Mastrangelo was soon surrounded by equally driven peers, a realization that initially sparked a sense of insecurity. “For the first time, I started to question if I could really do it,” she said. But a culture of encouragement from her professors, who knew her by name, and peers who felt like family, helped Mastrangelo regain her confidence and thrive.
Her first year in the Health Science program’s premed track also brought a deeply personal challenge. When her grandfather was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, Mastrangelo’s aspirations took on new urgency and meaning. “It changed my perspective on everything,” she explained. “Becoming a doctor went from something I wanted to do to something I will do—so I can help someone else going through that.”
That experience solidified her interest in oncology and guided many of her academic and professional pursuits. As a research assistant at the Miller School of Medicine, she contributed to a cancer survivorship study focused on improving quality of life and access to care for patients with blood cancers. The work allowed her to feel connected to her grandfather, contribute to broader advancements in patient care, and gain “mentors for life” from among the exemplary faculty-scientists she encountered.
Mastrangelo built an impressive portfolio of experiences beyond the lab as well. She served as a clinical assistant in orthopedics at The Lennar Foundation Medical Center, supported graduate programs at the Miller School, and held a leadership post as secretary of Alpha Epsilon Delta, an international pre-health honor society. Through these roles, she developed clinical and high-level administrative skills, as well as a deep appreciation for teamwork and communication.
One of Mastrangelo’s most meaningful experiences came outside the classroom. During a semester abroad in Prague, she stepped far outside her comfort zone, traveling with students she had never met before and immersing herself in a new culture. While in Prague, she volunteered at a local high school, helping students there learn English. “It was the best experience of my life,” she said. “Before my time at the School of Nursing and Health Studies, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do something like that.”
Mastrangelo’s growth did not come without moments of doubt. She recalled sitting in a campus hammock after a difficult biology final her first year, talking on the phone with her father and telling him, through tears, she wanted to come home. A graduating senior whom she didn't know happened to overhear the conversation while passing by and offered a word of unexpected advice: Stay. “That moment stuck with me,” said Mastrangelo. “It might be the reason I’m graduating now. I wish I could see her again and tell her that.”
Now, as she moves on to the next steps in her journey, MCATs and medical school, Mastrangelo remains grounded in the values that first inspired her: family, compassion, and a commitment to serving others. Her goal is to become the kind of physician her patients and their families remember—for the care she provides and the humanity she brings to that care. “Science, medicine, and biology are the tools we have to deliver treatment,” she said. “But it’s compassion and understanding—and meeting people where they’re at—that really help us heal as individuals, as groups, and as a world.” —Written by Maria Padron
