Her Story
About Samantha
Samantha Jewell is a professor of biology with extensive experience in higher education and student mentorship. She teaches full-time as a professor while managing grant duties for NSF-funded programs that support STEM students. A first-generation biology student from a low-income background, she draws from her own experiences to create programs that help similar students succeed. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology and earned her PhD in microbiology in 2012. Samantha has collaborated with colleagues to achieve $3.65 million in NSF funding. Outside her professional work, she regularly participates in medical missions to Mexico with Adventures in Life Ministries and advocates for women's rights and reproductive freedom. She attributes much of her success to the grit and resilience modeled by her mother.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Samantha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute a lot of my success to watching my mother, who struggled quite a lot. She had my brother and I very young, and she had grit, which is now a technical term for resilience and persistence in her workforce endeavors. She was scientific-minded as well.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Make them tell you no. You have to apply and put yourself out there, and if you don't, you're telling yourself no.
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