Student Voices Project - GSAW 2025
As part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW) 2025, the UCSF Graduate Division and the Office of Career and Professional Development are excited to celebrate the remarkable contributions and achievements of our graduate students. During GSAW, we are highlighting the voices of graduate students making a difference in our community and those who have achieved personal goals during their time at UCSF. Join us in acknowledging their hard work and successes.
These stories were collected and coordinated by Trase Aguigam, a PhD student in the Tetrad program, during his internship in the Office of Career and Professional Development in 2024-2025.
Sydney Williams
PhD student
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics
What challenges have you overcome in life?
"My greatest accomplishment was being able to communicate my science to my family in the 2024 Grad Slam competition. Before coming into UCSF, I was daunted by "science talk." I felt like most of the science conversations I experienced were super technical, full of jargon, and way above my head. As a first generation student, I'm certain my family felt the same way. So, it was important to me that I not only communicate my science to my family and the general audience, but to include them in my science as well. For my presentation, I compared my work to my dad, who has been a UPS delivery driver for most of my life. After my talk, I remember talking to my dad and he said the magic words I was aiming to hear: "I got it. I understand what you study now." Those words alone let me know I had done what I set out to do; to make people, my people, feel included and welcomed into the world of 'science talk.'"
Silver Alkhafaji
PhD Student
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics
Can you discuss a challenge you faced and overcame, and how it has contributed to your personal development?
"In December 2023, I faced one of the most challenging experiences of my life when I underwent a major spine surgery—a fusion and laminectomy to repair a stress fracture and remove a disc bulge in my lumbar L5-S1. The recovery process was physically excruciating and emotionally overwhelming. I struggled with intense pain, the limitations of my body, and the mental toll of feeling helpless. This experience taught me patience and the importance of self-compassion. I learned that healing is not linear, that grief comes in waves, and that vulnerability can lead to meaningful connections. I tried to overcome these difficulties by embracing my creative voice, finding purpose in sharing my journey, and allowing myself to process emotions instead of suppressing them."
Caitlyn Dang
PhD Student
Biomedical Sciences
How do you express your creativity, and what does it mean to you?
"To stay creative, I run an Instagram page (@futuredrdang) to document my day-to-day as a PhD student. This platform is a form of respite and an opportunity to engage with peers outside of my immediate community. Science is too serious, and being a content creator lets me be a little silly sometimes. After all, we're real people outside of our daily jobs."
Grace Hu
PhD Student
Bioengineering
If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would tell a younger version of you?
"Although there will be many ups and downs, not to mention those unforgettable moments in between, guess what? I won’t place any expectations on you, because whatever you have chosen to do with your life is a good choice in my book. No matter what, you won’t let me down because all I want for myself is to be happy. Know that I’m already proud of you, future self. And hey, don’t forget to be awesome!"
Cuyler Luck
PhD Student
Biomedical Sciences
Are there personal goals you set for yourself that you've achieved or are working towards? How do you stay motivated to pursue your goals?
"After the first year of my PhD, I fell into a cliche that applies for many trainee scientists: I started distance running as a hobby. There's something immensely gratifying about spending time outdoors with music or my thoughts, putting one leg in front of the other and not having to focus on much else. One half marathon turned into five, which turned into two full marathons and now a lifelong goal to run the six Abbott World Marathon Majors (London, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo, Boston, and NYC [this one is done]). For me, motivation in this context is all about balance -- I'm currently spending most of my exercise time cycling instead of running, because I know that I will burn out if all I do is run marathon after marathon. The next hardcore training block can wait until I somehow win an entrance lottery and get an opportunity to run a cool race, at which point I will be all-in on preparing myself to achieve that next step."
PS Nandini
PhD Student
Bioengineering
Are there personal goals you set for yourself that you've achieved or are working towards? How do you stay motivated to pursue your goals?
"When I volunteered as a teacher in an underprivileged school, I noticed the students there did not have access to non-curricular books, as underprivileged schools don’t have libraries. This motivated me to become an advocate for equal rights to education, and I founded The Keni Project (2013-Present), a Non-Profit organization that crowd-sources books, creates libraries and teaches students in low-income schools. Keni has organized book-collection drives in India and Dubai, collected 5000+ books, and established 12 libraries across 4 cities in India. Keni received the Changemaker Award and I spoke about my initiative at TEDxYouth@NapierBridge."
