Amy Zamora

Catching up with Salisbury graduate Amy Zamora

What is your full name?

Amy Dawn Zamora

When did you graduate from Salisbury?

2014

Tell us about your life since high school.

After high school I went to Haverford College, a small liberal arts college outside of Philly! There, I majored in mathematics and minored in biology and worked as a lab assistant in my professor’s lab for 3 years. During this time, I did a lot of internships at various labs in the US to gather more skills as well as better understand if and in what way I wanted to be a scientist. I also ran Division III track and field at Haverford and competed in the 400m and 800m as an individual and on relay teams. 

After earning my Bachelor’s I was accepted into a fellowship program at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, WA; where I’ve been able to mix my math and biology backgrounds to perform academic research in infectious disease. This is where I am currently! Since moving to Seattle, I’ve also picked up a love for the outdoors, and have been actively hiking, trail running, and mountaineering for the past 2 years. I’ve even run 2 ultra-marathons since finishing DIII track (50Ks). Through this, I’ve gotten involved in outreach programs for folks who want to get outside, but may not have the means to do so.

How has the pandemic impacted you and what have you learned from it?

As an essential worker, the pandemic has really taught me how to adjust my life when necessary. Although it took a significant toll on many people’s lives and jobs, I learned to think of it as a roadblock. I’ve seen many roadblocks in my life, and none so far have been impassable, so I took this as a chance to figure out a way to support myself in a difficult time as well as reduce my impact on others while still continuing to work. I did this by adjusting my project through its completion, finding ways to avoid taking the bus, and working from home whenever possible.

I applied the same mindset to my regular life. No change was permanent or too terrible to consider, so after the first few weeks of quarantine, I set out to find new ways to interact with my friends and continue doing the things that I love. So I guess I’ve mostly learned how to adjust and approach roadblocks like the pandemic in a mindful way.

What are your summer plans?

I finish my fellowship as of July and am hoping to continue hiking and climbing mountains before I leave for graduate school in the fall. I’ll be attending Harvard University to get my PhD in Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology. Summer in Seattle is amazing, and I’m really wishful that the pandemic continues to slow down so I can have one last adventure summer before I leave for a while.

What was your favorite high school memory?

I can’t necessarily pinpoint just one, but my time with the soccer team was definitely memorable. I don’t think I ever realized what a good community of supportive people the Salisbury Soccer family was until I was gone. They defined most of my high school experience and made me really happy while I was there. 

What is your favorite movie or TV show and why? 

My favorite movie is Back to the Future (Part I), primarily because I love Marty McFly as a character who is extraordinarily dedicated to the people he loves (even when he’s the one causing turmoil). The soundtrack is also incredible.

How is your family doing?

My family is doing well! My brother is currently at Moravian College studying music and environmental science. My mom is still working and has just moved to a new home.

If you could meet anyone (alive or dead), who would you choose and why?

I would love to meet Killian Jornet, a famous ultra marathon runner and ski mountaineer from Spain who does the craziest and coolest adventures (including skiing down part of Mount Everest twice). He is the epitome of insane adventure running, and also takes the time to be responsible for the influence he has on young people like me who idolize what he does. Although he has a lot of fun and does cool things, he recognizes the risks involved and is truly mindful of the power position he holds. I think he would be fascinating to have a conversation with and I’d love to pick his brain about the things he does, why he does them, and how he got to where he is today.

Who is your role model and why?

I would really love to meet Pardis Sabeti (who I may get to work with at Harvard!!). She is one of the first responding scientists to both the ebola and coronavirus outbreak and has done amazing work to combat both diseases. Also, as an Iranian woman in science, she’s had to overcome so many obstacles to getting to her position, and I truly admire her for that. In fact, I aspire to do that as well. She’s a brilliant scientist and humanitarian who accomplishes the most incredible things. 

#yoursalisbury