Patrick Janssens and Gianna Sesto mentored younger students at the College of Arts and Sciences through the Dean’s Ambassadors program and other outreach opportunities. They both share a passion for science and plan to attend medical school.
Patrick Janssens
After growing up in Hollywood, Florida, Patrick Janssens didn’t plan to stay in the state for college. But when he visited the University of Miami as a high school student, he was impressed by the energy on campus. “I love how it’s always alive, there’s always something happening around campus,” he said.
Fast-forward four years, and Janssens is graduating as a global health major with minors in Spanish, psychology, and biology. He plans to attend medical school and specialize in pediatrics after taking a gap year to volunteer, travel, and work as a medical scribe.
During his time at the University, Janssens has been involved in everything from ice skating club to the Dean’s Ambassadors program in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is also one of the founding members of ’Canes for Global Health, a group that organizes guest lectures and offers professional development and volunteer opportunities.
Janssens studied global health because he wanted to focus on health disparities. This interest prompted him to join a research lab studying the impacts of exposure to cadmium, a heavy metal to which low-income and minority communities are disproportionately exposed. Janssens also completed a summer internship in Pristina, Kosovo, with an organization called Action for Mothers and Children, where he sought to make an impact on the country’s trend of low levels of involvement by fathers in raising children.
Through both ’Canes for Global Health and the Dean’s Ambassadors program, Janssens has mentored younger students. “I really love to mentor people,” he said. He encourages new students to reach out to older students for advice. “Don’t be afraid to talk to people in the higher grades,” he said. “Ask them questions because they’ve been through it.”
Gianna Sesto
Gianna Sesto has been passionate about chemistry since she took her first chemistry course in high school. “Seeing something change in front of you from black to pink, from pink to clear, was mind-boggling and really fascinating,” she said.
Sesto, who grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, majored in chemistry at the University of Miami and minored in Spanish. After taking a couple of gap years, she plans to attend medical school and specialize in pediatric allergy, and she hopes to use her Spanish to connect with future patients.
Sesto’s passion for chemistry led her to join Chemistry Club, where she volunteered to teach children about chemistry at the Frost Science Museum. She was also an active member of the American Medical Student Association, where she organized an online awareness event and a fundraiser for a family whose child has Sanfilippo Syndrome. Additionally, she worked for UQUEST, a science education research project for underserved youth that is a collaboration between the psychology department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Overtown Youth Center.
As a Dean’s Ambassador, Sesto supported other chemistry majors and helped plan events, including mixers for chemistry majors and minors that enabled students to connect with each other and with faculty. Her advice for younger students is to reach out to professors for support. “The mentorship that I’ve received from the chemistry department is absolutely unparalleled,” she said. “They’re always willing to help, always understanding.”
One of the things Sesto said she will miss about the University is the school spirit. “You can’t spend a day on campus without seeing someone wearing orange and green,” she said.
