Paying mentorship forward

Transferring schools is hard. And in the middle of a pandemic? Even harder. 

But with a strong community of devoted faculty and staff at Virginia Tech and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the key to overcoming these obstacles is only a conversation away. 

That’s exactly what Shajaesza Diggs found after transferring to Virginia Tech during the pandemic in the middle of her junior year. Even though courses were online because of COVID, Diggs’ hard work and strong potential had caught the eye of one of her instructors, Clément Vinauger, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry.

Today, Diggs is a master’s degree student in biochemistry, all thanks to a conversation with Vinauger at a post-graduation celebration. Vinauger is intentional with helping students navigate the academic system. Once a first-generation college attendee himself, he knows that the process of getting into graduate school or other research opportunities can be challenging. As a faculty member, he not only wants to achieve great research, but also mentor students for the next phase of their careers. 

“We take people, not for what they can do now, but for the potential that they have to reach the next step of their careers,” said Vinauger.

When Diggs met Vinauger in person for the first time at graduation, he offered her the opportunity to join the Vinauger Lab as a technician.

After seeing Diggs’ passion for research as a lab technician, Vinauger suggested that she consider leveraging her lab experience to pursue a master’s degree. Although the process of getting into a master’s program seemed daunting for Diggs, she applied to the program with the guidance of Vinauger and Chloé Lahondère, both faculty in biochemistry.

Upon being admitted to the Department of Biochemistry graduate program, Diggs had several research opportunities, and she chose a National Science Foundation grant project that focuses on how mosquitoes feed. Her research specifically looks at nectar-feeding mosquitoes and blood-feeding mosquitoes to see if nectar feeders can transition to blood as a food source. 

Diggs investigates how mosquitoes’ muscles work by giving them a blue-dyed sucrose liquid that mimics the nectar of plants and gives visual verification that the mosquitoes have fed. She then uses electrodes to record and analyze the mosquito’s activity.

The data Diggs collects will be instrumental in answering whether a nectar-feeding mosquito can transition into a blood-feeding one.

The guidance and support Diggs received has inspired her to pay it forward. She serves as a transfer student mentor as part of Transfer Experience, a living-learning community on campus where she shares resources and her firsthand experiences with her fellow students. 

“Reach out. If you need help, there are so many resources,” Diggs said. “You just have to ask.”