Odenville resident Madison Lathem presents her winning research on childhood cancer during the Blazing to Biomendical Careers. Photo courtesy of Madison Lathem.

In Madison Lathem’s first semester at Jefferson State, she was enrolled in an anatomy course. Her professor in the class noticed her potential for a bright future in the medical science industry and wanted to help her excel in the field. UAB’s Blazing to Biomedical Careers offered the perfect opportunity for Lathem to take that step.

The professor recommended Lathem as a potential participant. Following the recommendation, Lathem went through a faculty interview round and at the summation she was chosen.

Blazing to Biomedical Careers is designed with the intention of providing community college students with more advanced opportunities for research in their field. Throughout the competition, Madison and other participants were granted access to labs for research and attended seminars from UAB faculty to enhance their research projects.

 “The faculty at Jefferson State was so supportive of me,” Lathem said. “They were always checking in on me to see how everything was going, and I knew that if I ever needed help with anything, they would be there for me.”

Throughout the research portion of the competition, Lathem was assigned a mentor to guide her through the gathering and compiling of data. She presented her research at the competition awards ceremony — and won.

The Odenville resident chose childhood cancer as her research topic and plans on continuing studying in that field when she transfers to UAB next fall. After graduation, she wants to become a pediatric oncologist.

Lathem thinks her experience with Blazing to Biomedical Careers will be extremely beneficial throughout her time in school and career. She was able to conduct research experiments and learn about the application process and requirements for gaining acceptance into graduate school. 

The faculty at Jefferson State has been very supportive of Madison’s participation, as well as the program in general. Student involvement is a way for the school to seamlessly adjust to a university setting after transferring from Jefferson State.

“This opportunity allows them to spend time on UAB’s campus and familiarize themselves with it,” Jefferson State, Pell City Campus Division Chair Dr. Nicholas Kin said. “The experience the students gain as participants is beneficial to both their education and their future.”

Blazing to Biomedical Careers is something that Kin thinks partners well with the UAB Joint Admissions Program at Jefferson State. This allows Jefferson State students to be involved with activities on UAB’s campus and receive a guaranteed scholarship after transferring.

“Our student’s participation has made everyone at Jeff State very proud,” Kin said. “It really shows the quality of students Jefferson State has and how they are working to improve our community’s future.”