Meet Graduate Cinthia Flores

After being an Nvolve scholar for nearly two years, Cinthia Flores has her sights set on a career in cancer biology or immunology as a cancer research scientist. In May 2022 Cinthia graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a major in Biological Science and has secured a research fellow position at the UMD School of Medicine to prepare for graduate school. As a first-generation college student, Cinthia originally joined Nvolve to enrich her “professional development and career skills as a woman in the STEM fields.” From the start she “felt valued because she was accepted into this program,” due to the “strength of her research proposal” and “her promise for excellence in STEM.” This feeling continued as her mentor and fellow scholars “made it clear that her voice was important.” Cinthia has fond memories of weekly huddles and group discussions that “helped her to understand that she was not alone in her struggles and victories.” The monthly topics of these huddles allowed her to build skills in teamwork, written communication, and interviewing, while guest speakers exposed her to many different career experiences. As part of the Nvolve Science & Technology Program, Cinthia completed both individual and group projects. For one project she recorded a podcast called “The Growing STEM of Women,” which “talked about different women who have contributed to STEM fields, historically and currently.” She was also part of a team which used the software, Tableau, to study “the correlation between mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic.” As Cinthia says, these experiences were especially important during a time that “left many feeling isolated,” since the Nvolve program “helped her feel part of a community that [was] always there for her.” She was also happy to share her insights at a number of information sessions for young women interested in becoming Nvolve scholars. Cinthia feels “grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Nvolve” and plans to stay involved in the community “by staying connected to the scholars and mentors I have met.”

Cinthia’s mentor is Faye O’Brien, who is the president of Nvolve, a statistician by training, and a retired clinical research executive. Leaning on her insight as a first-generation college student and her extensive industry experiences, she founded Nvolve in early 2020 to address the STEM gap. As she strives to support Nvolve scholars build a strong foundation for a successful future, she often “looks back at how she felt when there were obstacles or impediments in her college experience and what help she needed to overcome those barriers.” Ms. O’Brien views mentoring as “an essential part of personal and professional development to clarify goals, demystify the workplace, and enable good decision-making.” Advising Cinthia has been a rewarding experience for her, and she describes Cinthia as “inquisitive, determined, and hard working.” During their mentoring sessions, Ms. O’Brien served as “a sounding board” and helped Cinthia consider “several different options when confronted with an issue or obstacle.” She is gratified “to see how Cinthia has taken agency of designing her professional future.”