The start of college can be an uncertain time for many students, and the journey to discovering your passion is not always easy. America Cox, a senior at the U and an alumni of the ACCESS Scholars program, was no stranger to this feeling.

It was through the ACCESS’s supportive peer community, mentorship and unique research opportunities that she quickly found her footing and was off to the races. “I guess I always knew that I was going to go to college and that it was a big deal for me, and that science was my thing, but the ACCESS program really gave me the opportunity to affirm that for myself and to then be a part of a community of people that will support that,” she says.

America is pursuing an honors degree in biology with an emphasis in ecology, evolution and environment, alongside a second major in philosophy of science and minors in chemistry and media studies. Alongside her diverse collection of studies, she is also highly involved in research, thanks to her placement in the Dentinger Lab during her first year through ACCESS. There, she has been fascinated with the world of mycology, completing a nearly four-year study on the unique coevolutionary relationship of ant-fungus agricultural systems. “Mycology is such an emerging field because about 70 years ago, people still thought fungi were plants,” she explains. “So when I went to Mexico, we were out there just seeing what there is,” she explains. “Being able to see that at the ground level, and seeing the field [of mycology] start to move in new ways is really cool.”

The global level

Amanda Cox, taking her studies to the global level.

For the last three summers, America has taken her experience to the global level, traveling far and wide with her research. She has presented at conferences for the Mycological Society of America, searched for new species of mushrooms in Mexico, explored ecology with the honors integrated minor at Mpala Research Center in Kenya, and completed an REU studying E. muscae, (also known as “zombie” parasitic fungus) in the Elya lab at Harvard University. 

Throughout her unique experiences, America has learned the importance of going back to the basics when she feels overwhelmed or out of place. “I am not a stranger to imposter syndrome. So it’s very easy for me to think, ‘Is this even good enough for what I’m doing?’” she explains. “But then I can look at my data when it comes together, and I realize that I am doing something for the scientific community, and it is contributing to a wider set of knowledge.” 

Reflecting on her journey so far, America describes how several elements of her identity intertwined with her experience: “I am a first-generation college student. I’m a woman in STEM, and I’m also Hispanic, so the things that overlap there are not always represented in STEM.” As a kid dreaming of entering a field that felt like unfamiliar territory in many ways, she emphasizes how crucial it was to find a community of like-minded people who could offer guidance and compassion: “As the first person to go into STEM my family, it was a really unknown field, and so being able to have them say, ‘hey, let’s see what you’re interested in, and let’s get you going’ — that support was unparalleled and for sure got me to where I am right now,” she states. 

That 'aha' moment

Looking forward, America plans to attend graduate school in biology, incorporating outreach and advocacy with her work and one day she hopes to become a professor and researcher. “Teaching is a big thing for me. I love helping someone find that ‘aha’ moment, and also paying it forward. I am who I am because of great teachers who have come before me and inspired me. So I would love to be that for someone else,” she says.

America Cox has already begun her teaching journey, giving back to the ACCESS Scholars Program as a teaching assistant and a mentor for younger students, working to provide them with the representation and support they need to see themselves flourish in STEM and to find their passion, just like she did.