Kimberli Graham

Quick Facts

Program: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Graduation Year: 2017
Current Job Title: WASH Global Intern at Samaritan's Purse International Relief
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Current City: Mandalay, Myanmar

Life at CBU

Why did you choose your major? What interested you in this particular field of study?
I transferred into CBU and was switching majors. I was already interested in engineering thanks to a program I was part of in high school, but I wasn’t entirely sure what discipline I wanted to go into. I saw that CBU was starting a brand-new biomedical engineering program, and it sounded interesting. I have always been interested in the medical field but I’ve never wanted to be a doctor. I talked to some of the professors about the program, took some intro classes, and bada-bing, bada-boom, here I am four years later with a degree in BME.

What did you like about being in this program at CBU?
I liked that the classes were usually pretty small and that there were a lot of projects and labs. It was also pretty cool being part of the second graduating class for biomedical engineering, because I feel like we got to see and influence how the program is being designed.  

What did you think about your professors?
They were fantastic. I had several professors for different classes scattered throughout the four years, so I feel like I got to know some of them really well. We’d have conversations about our families, our hobbies, our relationships with Christ, future dreams and just life in general. I would also say that they cared deeply for their students and genuinely wanted us to succeed. Most of the professors I had were also extremely accessible and were willing to meet outside of office hours if needed.

Did you complete an internship? If so, what was your experience like?
Yes, I am currently completing my third internship right now.

My first internship was with NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. It was just under three months long and took place the summer between my junior and senior years. My main project was creating a program in MATLAB to supplement one of NASA’s projects. It was a bit more computer science-oriented than I was expecting, but it was overall an amazing opportunity and great experience.

My second internship was at New World Medical in Rancho Cucamonga, California. I was there for nearly six months, starting during my senior year and continuing into the summer after graduation. I worked with the R&D engineering department and was able to learn a ton about the medical device industry. 

The internship I am currently completing right now is with Samaritan’s Purse International Relief. I am living overseas in Myanmar for four months. Samaritan’s Purse is a humanitarian aid and development organization, and I’m getting to help implement WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) projects in rural villages here in Myanmar. To be honest, most of what I’m doing has very little to do with what I studied. However, I’m having a blast and learning a lot, and I’m getting the opportunity to live abroad and experience another culture, which is amazing.

Did you participate in anything else at CBU?
I was a part of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE). I served as the chapter event planner and club president for BMES during my junior and senior years, respectively. I was also a student worker for the bioengineering department and Conferences and Events.

How did you grow (spiritually, socially, educationally) while in this program at CBU?
I think that like a lot of other college students, this time for me was when I really started to question and think deeply about things that I grew up believing. I heard ideas and opinions that I had never really considered before, and I had to figure out what I value in life. I also think I started realizing just how little I know about everything.

Life after CBU

What have you done since graduating?
I spent the first part of the summer interning at a medical device company in California. I am currently spending four months interning overseas in Myanmar with Samaritan’s Purse. 

Is there anything you learned at CBU that you still use in your professional life today?
The whole time I was at CBU I was told that getting a bachelor’s degree in engineering is really about teaching you how to think. I think I use that mindset a lot now, even if I’m not necessarily trying to solve engineering problems. Dr. D also once told us that “you can learn something from everybody,” and I try to have that outlook as well.