Driven by research: Melek Ercan

Driven by research: Melek Ercan

After Community College of Philadelphia’s Commencement Ceremony on May 2, Biology student Melek Ercan has big plans. To start, she will be participating in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP), a highly competitive summer research program. She has also applied to Princeton University and is awaiting a response. Looking ahead, Melek said she plans to continue her studies by applying to medical school and pursuing a Ph.D. program. She also hopes to continue taking theater classes and engaging with the arts. “My ultimate goal is to become a physician-scientist, combining clinical care with medical research,” Melek said. “I am driven by a desire to serve my community and eventually provide medical aid globally through organizations like Doctors Without Borders, embracing a holistic and humanitarian approach to medicine.

Melek’s story

During her time as part of CCP’s inaugural Paid Biology Research Experience this academic year, Melek sent an email to College leadership and professors expressing how special her time at the College has been. Melek agreed to share the below testimonial, addressed to Dr. Alycia Marshall, president of CCP; Dr. Vishal Shah, dean of Math, Science and Health Careers; and Dr. Jennifer Tront, associate professor and assistant chair of the department of Biology, in its entirety:

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Melek Ercan, and I am a Biology student at CCP. I am writing to express my deep appreciation for the Paid Research Experience program created by Dr. Tront. As a first-generation college student, I often do not have anyone to ask for guidance about academic paths or future careers. While balancing a restaurant job alongside my coursework, earlier I applied to several research programs and faced multiple rejections. Although I was doing well academically with a 3.95 GPA, I did not yet understand how to engage with research, how to ask strong scientific questions, or how to seek mentorship beyond the classroom.

Being part of the first cohort of the Paid Biology Research Experience was truly transformative. I gained hands-on experience, learned how to think critically and ask meaningful questions, and became more confident in my place within the scientific community. The compensation also made a real difference, it allowed me to step back from one of my late restaurant shifts and dedicate more time and energy to my studies.

One of the most meaningful aspects of this program was mentorship. Before applying to research opportunities, students are often expected to already have recommendation letters and personal connections with faculty, which can be incredibly difficult to navigate. Through this program, my peers and I received invaluable guidance from Dr. Tront, Dr. Salerno, and Professor Noyes. For the first time, I had people I could ask questions, learn from, and trust when thinking about my future.

This program was not only about learning research techniques, but it was also about learning through lived experience. Hearing stories, attending lab-style meetings, and learning how to read scientific papers gave me a clear picture of what it means to be a scientist. It was truly eye-opening.

I am especially grateful for the emphasis on science communication. Developing confidence in understanding and explaining my data has built confidence, and I hope to present a poster at an upcoming science fair.

I am finishing this program with tons of gratitude. I gained skills, built friendships, and, most importantly, felt guided and supported. For the first time in my life, I felt that I had mentors who cared about my future.

I am also deeply grateful for the Peer Mentoring Collaboration. Our first meeting last Friday was truly inspiring. We had the opportunity to meet a student who successfully transferred from a community college to UPenn, and a Ph.D. student who generously shared resources and guidance on finding summer research opportunities. Dr. Tront and Dr. Winkler from Penn were incredibly welcoming, and I truly appreciated the supportive and encouraging environment they created.

Thank you for supporting these programs and for supporting students like me. Please know how deeply I appreciate Dr. Tront, Dr. Salerno, Professor Noyes, and CCP for making this opportunity possible.

Best regards, Melek Ercan