Dedicated to making people well

STEM Scholar Daira Lima dreams of making people well. One day, she might be your doctor.

Biology class at High Tech High set the hook and, in particular, human biology fascinated her: “The way every part of our body has a specific purpose and works together as one unit to keep us alive,” Daira said.

Driven to learn more, she emailed the pathology manager at Sharp Memorial Hospital to ask for an internship. One day, she was able to observe a consultation that included a heart transplant patient, the female patient’s parents and members of her medical team. Pathologists explained why her heart had failed and allowed the patient to hold the very heart they had removed from her body.  The patient and her parents were overcome with emotion.

“They expressed how grateful and blessed they felt to be able to have their daughter still there with them,” Daira said. “At that moment, I knew that that’s what I wanted to dedicate my life to.”

Congrats, Daira!