Kimberly Dela Cruz

Hey there! I’m Kimberly, a fourth-year undergrad studying Biological Science at the University of Guelph. I’m interested in the topics of biochemistry and genetics especially gene editing. What I like the most about gene editing is its enormous potential to help treat heritable diseases that would otherwise be passed on for generations. My hobbies are playing mobile games which I recently started playing during quarantine. I enjoy playing with my friends online especially now that we can’t meet up and hangout like usual, its nice to find another way to still connect with my friends. I also like to go out for a walk and hike with my dog Apollo. We have been to trails surrounding the city, our favorite is the Guelph Lake trail but the most memorable is our trip to Tobermory where we hiked at the little cove provincial park. I have always liked being surrounded by nature, I feel calmed and relaxed looking at the beautiful scenery and inhaling fresh air. What got me really interested in science is a show I used to watch as a kid called ‘Born to be Wild’. I found it cool to see diversity in animals and their roles in their respective ecosystems. I also saw how humans affected endangered species and as a kid, my dream is to help save them. I grew up in the Philippines and every year, typhoons wreak havoc on my small town. I have always thought that global warming is one key reason why the typhoon that comes gets stronger each year, so I wanted to learn more about it. I moved to Canada when I was 15 years old and I took an Environmental Science class in high school that I really enjoyed. I love that the class involved going out to the field and not just being cooped up in a four-walled classroom. Everyday, we would go out to visit different places to learn more about the environment first-hand. We visited farmlands, canoed on the river, camped at the Pinery Park, and many more interesting trips. Eventually, my interest shifted to genetics when my father died of cancer. I saw how my family aimlessly looked for help and slowly lose hope, something I wouldn’t want other families to experience. In the future, I would like to learn more about gene editing and research on cancer treatments. Currently, I am working as a Student Food Service Worker at the Elliot Home for the Aged to support my studies. The residents inspire me everyday to enjoy every bits of life, especially my youth. I take hardships in my life as lessons and I always look forward for better days.