This month we feature Riley Alvarez, a fourth-year undergraduate student in our Specialist Program in Pathobiology. Riley will be Co-President of LMPSU, the undergraduate student union, this year alongside Co-President Steven Ding.
What are you studying at LMP and why are you interested in studying it?
In a university where your options for programs are in multitudes, sometimes the right choice is just waiting for you to stumble upon it. And really, one needs to enter Pathobiology’s orbit only once to feel its gravitational pull.
I felt immediately drawn to LMP because it offered a galaxy of opportunities that leveraged my academic and personal pursuits equally: I could dive into the broadest research areas with any of the department’s 350+ faculty members in the morning, then engage in lively discussion with peers in a small 35-person class in the afternoon.
Pathobiology is also boundless to definition. It does not just study cell systems or disease behaviour or biological function. It is all of these and more. No doubt, this means the program demands focus and commitment, but nothing that collaboration with friends cannot override.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen or got involved with while at LMP?
I think the magic is in the process more than the product, and with LMP, there are vast opportunities to not only see the process, but also plunge headfirst into them.
I have been blessed to be involved in LMPSU’s past two conferences. Both hardcore and casual learners alike united to hear experts share their lifelong work. Having the chance to attend a conference (for free!) where the crème de la crème are presenting is unparalleled. To be at the helm organizing it this year - alongside a fantastic team - is a mix of pressure and excitement.
I also recently participated in the LMP SURE program. As a student, it is motivating to see brilliant work in the making. As a participant, it is even more motivating to know you are behind this “brilliant work”.
What was the best career advice you ever received?
To decline unfamiliar prospects is limiting yourself to one-dimensionality. Do not be a cartoon in an age of sculpture.
What has been an important learning experience in your life?
A university with 68,000+ students and a city with 2.9 million+ residents is bound to connect you with all sorts of people. I have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all person; we cannot expect to please everyone. However, there is a one-size-fits-all attitude: to respect and celebrate the differences that make our university and our city thrive with life.
Who is an influential person in your life and why?
My parents - they have been my loudest cheerleaders and my mightiest stronghold.
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I used to be in musical theatre and vocal music in high school. The stage was my lab, the mic was my pipette, and the audience was my committee panel. Now, only those in my household are (un)fortunate enough to see my performances!
What activities do you enjoy doing outside of your studies?
Reading, playing the guitar and drums, and video editing. I also have a knack for learning random skills on a whim, often by watching a YouTube tutorial.
What is your favourite album, film, and novel?
Album: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Film: Happiest Season
Novel: (A reader’s least favourite question) Backwards to Oregon by JAE, Last Night At the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, or Fortune Favours the Dead by Stephen Spotswood.
Who would be your dream dinner guests?
For the good of the world, it would be Leslie Feinberg and Radclyffe Hall - I can only imagine the transformative conversations these two would have.
For purely selfish reasons, it would be my grandfathers, Dadi Lolo and Tatay - we would invite the whole family and gather around a long table.
Where/what is your favourite place?
If I could, I would regularly teleport between San Pedro, Laguna and Las Vegas, Nevada. The first brings the quiet comfort of my family, while the second brings the roaring thrill of the city.
If you were stuck on a deserted island but had all your basic needs taken care of (i.e. food and water), what two items would you bring with you and why?
A deserted island would be the perfect place to bring a box (Item 1) of books (haha) from my list and a signal mirror (Item 2) for when I have exhausted all my books and am ready to go home!
