UKIAH, Calif. – Mariam Ballaho, winner of the 2012 Mendocino College Foundation Thomas M. Evans Sr. scholarship, majors in biological science and mathematics right now, but she plans to change her major to biochemistry and molecular biology when she transfers to UC Davis or UCLA in the Fall of 2013, with an eye toward medical school.

Born in Saudi Arabia, Ballaho grew up in the Philippines. She came to the USA with her parents, who are both employed in the medical field, in 2007.

The family lived in the Bay Area until 2009, when Ballaho's father accepted a job at Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits.

Ballaho graduated from Fremont High School and planned to attend college in the Bay Area; however, her parents wanted her to be near them, so she followed their wishes and enrolled at Mendocino College.

If she had any doubts about attending college in a small, rural community, Ballaho quickly discovered how lucky she was.

“My professors are the best,” she said. “I get to know them very well because I always go to their office hours, and they help me a lot.”

Although “everyone is really nice,” she admits to having two favorite professors: Deborah White, for mathematics, and Marcus Fredrickson, for chemistry.

Ballaho said her parents, Remy Ellen and Teodorico Ballaho, are her inspiration for doing well in college.

“I try to do well in school so my parents won't be disappointed. I want them to be proud of me,” she said.

While she lives at home, Ballaho pays most of her own college expenses, since her parents also support two brothers and three sisters who are all studying nursing in the Philippines.

“I am very grateful for The Thomas Evans scholarship. It paid for my tuition and expenses. I earn money working as a MESA chemistry workshop leader, and as a chemistry and math tutor, but I still had to ask my parents to help to pay for my books,” she said.

Ballaho, who takes 20 or more units every semester, loves going to school every day. “I like learning new things, and I thrive on challenges. It is exciting!”

She says her passion is taking care of people. “That's why I want to become a doctor.”

Ballaho participates in a Eisenhower Transportation Research Fellowship, through the MESA program at MC.

She partnered with Dafne Valdez to find environmentally friendly materials for the interior of a train. Ballaho and Valdez, along with three other MC MESA students will go to Washington D.C. In January to present their findings.

Ballaho paused when asked what she does for fun outside the college. “Fun for me is studying!” she said. Then, almost as an afterthought, she noted, “I like watching Korean dramas; that is how I am learning the Korean language.”

She speaks basic Chinese and Japanese, she is fluent in Tagalog, and nearly fluent in Korean – besides English, of course.

Advice she would give to other students is this: “Don't give up your goals. If you really want success, you have to put in a lot of effort. Do the best that you can do.”

For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation or to donate towards any of their programs, call them at 707-467-1018 or visit http://foundation.mendocino.edu/site/ .