Kennesaw State University junior David Roque spent his summer working at his father’s medical clinic in Poptún, Guatemala. Rather than participating in typical summer activities, Roque assisted with check-in examinations, served as a translator, and helped with surgeries at one of the few medical facilities in the region.
“I got to do a lot of tasks,” said Roque, a biology student in the College of Science and Mathematics. “I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity because not everybody gets to experience this.”
Poptún is located in the state of Petén, which borders Mexico and Belize. The clinic serves people who travel long distances for medical care. Roque’s fluency in Spanish and English made him an important part of the team, where he also observed surgeries and other clinical duties relevant to his future career.
Roque continued his academic work remotely by taking a cell biology course and received credit for his clinic experience through the Keeping Sights Upward Journey Honors College.
“I was busy every day, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Roque said. “I learned so much, and I know now that medicine is the career for me.”
After graduating from Shiloh Hills Christian School in Kennesaw with dual enrollment credits, Roque chose to study biology at KSU to prepare for a career in medicine. He joined the First-Year Scholars program and contributed to research on a controlled radiation capsule for cancer treatment. This project led to two publications during his first year.
Professor Hoseon Lee noted Roque’s contributions: “This project heavily required an understanding of biology at the cellular level, understanding of nuclear radiation and radiation therapy, and how it kills the cells for low dose versus high dose radiation treatments, which David contributed to the team,” Lee said. “His knowledge and skills were critical to the study, and his ability to mesh with the engineering students helped advance the research. He was an excellent addition to the project.”
Roque continued working on this research into his sophomore year and presented findings at conferences including those hosted by Georgia Tech, Posters at the State Capitol, and the National Council on Undergraduate Research conference in Pennsylvania. Through these experiences, he developed an interest in combining research with medicine.
“I never saw myself doing research, and now I’m getting more into it,” he said. “It’s another world that I discovered.”
Roque has since written a proposal related to cancer research but remains focused on pursuing medicine as a career—following family tradition as both his grandfather and father are physicians while his mother works as a nurse.
Reflecting on his time at KSU and beyond, Roque said: “It just feels like home here,” he said. “I have found my place, found my friends, and I have made a community.”
