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Roya Dirin grew up in Iran, where she went to college, earned her Bachelor’s degree, and worked as a midwife. With a solid background in biology, Roya enjoyed her job, but she was also interested in medical research, especially how drugs are developed and different treatments are discovered. When she was 30, Roya moved to the United States to be with her family and continue her education.
“At first, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Roya admits. She started by taking English classes at Middlesex Community College, in Massachusetts, to become a more fluent English speaker. Soon after that, a friend’s excitement about the college’s biology program sparked Roya’s interest and introduced her to biotechnology. “I had experience working with patients, but I had always wondered about the research that goes into treatments and cures. When I came here, I realized that biotech was the first step toward that goal. Going to community college was a good experience for me because I wasn’t just a student; I worked there. It gave me exposure to the kind of lab environment that I would eventually work in.”
In two years, Roya graduated with her Associate of Applied Science degree. Because biotech and pharmaceutical companies often recruit at Middlesex, Roya had a job offer before she graduated.
Currently, Roya works at EMD Pharmaceuticals, a start-up company focused on cancer vaccine research. As an upstream processing associate, Roya's job is to harvest and purify cells for needed proteins. “I really like my job. I get to be involved in cancer research, and be part of a team. Community college was a great first step to getting here.”