Rickey Ishida
“Imagine the life you want to live, and start building it piece-by-piece. Success can be measured in very different ways.”
I am an open-ocean fisherman. I enjoy gardening and greeting dogs on the street. I taught myself to play Jack Johnson songs on the guitar. I spent the majority of my youth experiencing the challenges of poverty. I teach middle and high school students in a biology lab during their field trips at my company. I am a STEM Education Coordinator.
I am an Education Coordinator at Biogen. My job is to make learning about STEM an interactive and engaging experience for students. I go beyond textbooks and lectures to create opportunities for students to actively apply the concepts they learn. For example, I might use a fun analogy to help students understand a complex topic, or a hands-on activity to make the material more immersive. Instead of a classroom or museum, I work at Biogen, a biotechnology company that works on treatments for diseases. It’s my job to make Biogen’s work (and the many STEM fields that make it possible) exciting and accessible for visiting students. From the students' perspective, my job is about teaching things like wet-lab techniques and sharing stories that capture the latest advancements in biotechnology. Behind the scenes, I’m constantly learning about the field, working on new lesson plans, and coordinating with teachers to make sure our programs run smoothly. I’m always striving to use dynamic approaches that help students connect with the real-world applications of what they’re learning, and start building skills that will help them succeed in STEM careers.
Biotechnology is advancing quickly, and new techniques and possibilities are constantly emerging. In synthetic biology, for example, researchers are learning how to redesign living organisms by giving them new abilities that could benefit human health. And once-expensive techniques, like DNA sequencing, can now take only a few days and a few hundred dollars. We are even creating artificial, living organs. It’s a very exciting time, and I believe that children who live in this era have a right to understand what’s happening, and whether they might be interested in being part of it. I think the best way to do that is through active learning. I don't care if a student can recite the definition of gel electrophoresis, but I know my day was a success if I can act it out for them and make a connection.
I spent the first 8 years of my life in Japan. I was a mischievous and silly kid. I got along well with my peers and enjoyed playing outdoors with my friends and siblings. Unfortunately, when I was young, my family faced unexpected hardships that led us to move to the United States. My world completely changed. Though my parents were dentists in Japan, in the US we had to start over. We often struggled with poverty and hunger. School became my refuge, and I immersed myself both in my studies and my friendships. Despite the challenges, I had my eyes set on going to college, and started at my local university. A year later, I transferred to Cornell University, but the transition wasn’t easy. Despite starting college with good grades, after the transfer I struggled to keep up. At one point, I actually scored the worst grade in my class on a test. But I was no stranger to starting over, and put everything I had into earning a degree in bioengineering. After graduation, I spent two years helping my family build a house, despite having no construction work background. Though that wasn’t in my original plans, I developed a strong work ethic that still serves me today – plus I can now fix pretty much anything. Though my path was delayed, I eventually applied to work in the startup industry, and continued my journey of self-discovery. It wasn’t an easy path. I struggled with burnout and unfulfilling jobs, but also built the skills I needed to be ready when I found the right fit. When I realized I could combine my love of laboratory science with my strengths in storytelling, it opened up the possibilities that I’d been searching for.
I enjoy open ocean fishing with my friends. We rent a boat and catch different species depending on the season and abundance. I also like to grow herbs and vegetables commonly used in Japanese food. With my catch and harvest, I can make fresh and delicious Japanese dishes. On the social front, I surround myself with curious people and enjoy attending learning nights with my friends. We present topics that we’re interested in to each other and all learn about them together. I love music as well. When I was going through a hard time, I taught myself to play Jack Johnson songs on the guitar as a form of therapy. And I’ve always enjoyed playing sports, but I usually stick to pick-up games in the neighborhood because it takes less planning and I get to meet and be a role model for kids that are struggling much like my brothers and I used to.
I'm the first in my family to be a Christian. I challenge myself to live a faith-filled life and love my neighbors every day, while still pursuing a comfortable and easy life for myself.
Stress less, sleep more. Patience devours all. Slow is beautiful. Imagine the life you want to live, and start building it piece by piece. In real estate, they emphasize, “Location, location, location.” In life, it’s all about, “Relationships, relationships, relationships.” Don’t just take my word for it, try it out for yourself.
