WIB-Seattle Leadership Spotlight: Shivani Jayaprakasam

Shivani Jayaprakasam
former WIB-Seattle YWIB Communications Co-Chair

Shivani Jayaprakasam was the Young Women In Bio (YWIB) Communications Co-Chair and was the youngest member on the WIB-Seattle board. She is currently an undergraduate premedical student at the University of Washington. Truly a local, Shivani grew up on the east side in Redmond. Two years ago, she was a high school ambassador for YWIB, and now she balances attending demanding college classes, working at a research lab, and giving back to the high schoolers in the area. Shivani’s passion for science started when she was young. “I remember in seventh grade, when I first used a microscope in my biology classes. It’s amazing seeing tiny cells interact and knowing they can form a whole human body,” she said. Part of Shivani’s drive to continue pursuing science came from a family medical emergency, when her mother was diagnosed with a difficult illness. “When my mom was hospitalized, the doctors would take extra time and explain it to me with care, providing human connection,” she recalled. “The fact that there was no cure at the time made me want to help her. I got more interested in all sciences, and the more I knew, I realized that there was no other field that I would be this interested in.”

In order to learn as much as she could, Shivani made time in her schedule to consistently volunteer in medical settings. “In high school, I volunteered at hospitals and low-income clinics. The first time that I was in an OR, I knew that medicine was my path. I want to help people at their most vulnerable times,” she said. “The more I tried different things, I always came back to medicine.” Currently, as Shivani pursues classes that will set her up for a career in medicine, she also works at a lab on campus at the University of Washington. “My favorite thing is the lab, which is a neonatal neuroscience lab. It’s the coolest research I've ever come upon,” she said. “The research is focused on the fact that when premature babies are born, they get a lot of brain injuries because they don’t get enough oxygen. I started my research at the beginning of my college experience, and being able to take the real-world knowledge back to the classroom with me is amazing. I love all my classes. Everyone at UW really cares about school, and everyone really wants to be there.”

Even though Shivani is plenty busy with her classes and research, what made her commit her time to the board was how good her experience was when she was a high school ambassador for YWIB. “The community was really good to me when I was an ambassador. The women on the board invited me to learn about their research and shadow them,” she said. “It can be hard to make connections with people in STEM sometimes, but everyone was so sweet in the YWIB program. The previous YWIB Chair, Aidan, even brought me to one of her medical school classes, and another board member is giving me her MCAT prep books.” In addition, Shivani has found her passion for encouraging young girls to keep pursuing science. “I love working with kids, and I want to be the mentor that I would have looked up to,” she said. “The mission of getting young women into bio and STEM—that’s what I’m passionate about. To be a role model and get more girls, and show the world that girls can do it, that’s what really got me into Women In Bio.”

As the youngest member of the WIB-Seattle board, Shivani brought a fresh perspective and unique advice for the younger community. “When you’re just starting college, two things: one, be nice to everyone, because you don’t know when they’ll come back to you later in life. Even if you’re at a big school, try just saying hi. And two, be on top of everything school-wise. It’s easy to procrastinate but stay on top of it. Actually watch your lectures, even if you just get one thing out of it,” she said. In addition, Shivani recommended staying in touch with the people you meet in extracurricular groups like YWIB. “Get to know everyone, and go to events! A lot of women at WIB events come from unique places and have unique advice,” she said. “Everyone can bring something new to the table, so go to events and make those connections with intelligent women.”

We are so glad that Shivani found time in her student schedule to volunteer with our YWIB Committee! Her ability to connect with young women and her investment in the mentorship cycle means that she’s sure to be successful in the future. 

Submitted by Mariana Huben