BRYAN, Texas — The youngest graduate from Sam Houston State University at just 15-years-old is making strides in the medical field in Houston.
Graduate Nehemiah Juniel is currently part of a research fellowship in Houston learning the ropes.
“It almost feels like taking another class,” Juniel said. “I’ve been given projects and things to research and know and understand. It’s been a very interesting and fun process.”
Under the advisership of Dr. John Cooke at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, he said Juniel beats the odds.
“It’s rare that we have someone as young as Nehemiah working in the laboratories,” Dr. Cooke said. “He was only 16-years-old.”
At just 16-years-old, Juniel is applying modern technology to help solve medical problems with his peers.
“He’s the youngest but has already learned some important scientific skills,” Dr. Cooke said. “He’s doing western analyses, learning how to do some science and generate data.”
Young, bright, and eager to learn more science.
“I’ve been learning how to do western blots,” Juniel said. “It’s a technique where we can visualize proteins by breaking down cells or tissues and running them through a gel that separates them by weight.”
Dr. Cooke says Nehemiah has great qualities of a person and scientist.
“He’s going to get some new tools and techniques and a discipline, a way of looking at the world, a way of looking at medicine,” Dr. Cooke said. “He has a joyful approach to science. He loves to share his ideas and he loves to hear other people’s ideas, and that’s a great quality."
Serving in the fellowship for a little over a month, the health sciences graduate is learning what his true passions are.
“Do you want to do memorization and apply what you memorized and learned, or do you want to be the people making the discoveries that other people memorize?” Juniel said.
Working alongside other students, Juniel is exploring the world of health care.
“It’s going to be fun for me to see him develop as a physician, as a scientist,” Dr. Cooke said. “I think he’s going to make some important contributions.”
Ultimately deciding how he will leave his mark on the world.
“Having a foot in the door, being able to see research for myself kind of showed me how that process looks like and it’s something I’ve taken a liking to,” Juniel said.
There’s no doubt Juniel will be a great teacher in the future.
“I hope so,” he said.
Juniel will continue to serve in his fellowship for about two years.
He has plans of applying to a PhD program for the Spring 2024 semester and could end up enrolling here in Aggieland.