Natalie Thompson (Exp. 27) transferred to PLNU from Southwestern College to pursue her dream of pharmacology thanks to the Biotech Pathway Scholarship
“I’m hoping to become a pharmacist,” Natalie said. “Right now I’m a chemistry major at Point Loma, and hopefully this summer I’ll be interviewing for pharmacy school at UCSD, so that I can start there in 2027.”
Natalie wasn’t even aware of Point Loma before chemistry professor Matthew Rouffet gave a presentation in her community college class about the Biotech Pathway Scholarship, which funds tuition for transfer students interested in STEM degrees.
“A chemistry professor, Matthew Rouffet, showed up at my community college organic chemistry class one day,” she explained. “It was the last class that I had to take before transferring to wherever I wanted to go. UCSD was my dream school, but when I heard of Point Loma… I went to community college initially to save money, because my number one fear in life is crippling debt that I’ll be paying off forever. So Point Loma gave me the opportunity to minimize that.”
After touring the campus with some of her classmates, Natalie was impressed with the location, great views, and friendly faces.
“I was shocked. I was flabbergasted — it was on the beach!” she said. “And everyone that I met there was super nice too.”
Additionally, Natalie noticed that the labs at PLNU had more personality than she was accustomed to, with LEGO sets on top shelves and decorations she hadn’t seen in other labs. It made her feel more relaxed, as though she could enjoy science in a different way.
“It was a really welcoming atmosphere, which I really thought was intriguing,” she said, “and then Dr. Rouffet is a really sweet guy. With the scholarship, we had the opportunity to join him in his summer research. We were trying to make drugs to treat malaria, and I thought that was really interesting.”
Natalie commutes over an hour every day to PLNU’s campus — despite the time commitment, she’s loved attending orchestra and jazz concerts, and chapel whenever she can. Although UCSD was closer, the faculty, students, and campus at PLNU won out.
“At Point Loma, I’m always on the terrace of Ryan Library, just sitting in the sun, feeling the breeze. The classes…I am so happy; all the teachers here are so nice. It’s really a welcoming atmosphere.”
Next year, her last at Point Loma, Natalie is looking forward to meeting more people and being in her chemistry seminar class.
“Rouffet started cooking for the people in his seminar class,” she explained, “which I’ll have to take in my last semester. I’m really kind of excited to just eat good as I wrap up at Point Loma. And to see my friends again.”
Natalie’s mother encouraged her to consider a medical field when she was young, and when Natalie was in community college, she discovered she enjoyed the chemical side more than the biological side.
“I think what pushed me more towards the chemistry side of things, as opposed to the bio side of things, was my organic chemistry class,” she said. “I know it’s notoriously awful for most people, but I honestly thrived under my teacher at community college, Professor Joanne. I love her so much. She made me think I was good at chemistry.”
Natalie then found that pharmacology would be a natural extension of her love for chemistry and set her sights on graduate school after her time at PLNU. Dr. Rouffet is currently helping her with her application by connecting her with current graduate students at UCSD. Ultimately, Natalie explained, she is incredibly grateful for the scholarship for giving her the chance to expand her horizons and pursue a career that feels right for her.
While she was originally nervous to attend PLNU — thinking that she wouldn’t be a good fit for university, or for a different demographic of students than she was used to — she soon discovered a place of belonging.
“I love the people at Point Loma, they’re so sweet,” she said. “If I had to tell my friends from community college [I’d say] it’s not a big deal. Point Loma is a super welcoming place, and my cortisol is so low right now. I don’t know, I feel like I got the better deal over here.”
In addition to furthering her studies and building the base for her career in pharmacology, Natalie also treasures the friends she’s made on campus — hour-long commute and all.
“I don’t know if I’ve just been, like, blessed to have a great community,” she said, “but Point Loma has always been welcoming towards me, and at my community college, Southwestern College, it was amazing. I loved all the people there — I’ve just had a great experience.”
