Azusa Pacific University graduate student Samkele Mtonga ’25 decided to move from Zimbabwe to America in order to pursue her passion of helping others through science. Mtonga is enrolled in APU’s Master of Science Biotechnology program.
Mtonga narrowed down her search for schools to the West Coast because she has family in Seattle. While searching for colleges, APU’s God First motto caught her eye. “Once I found out that it was a Christian university, I knew this was the place for me,” Mtonga said. She decided to pursue her masters in order to gain practical experience. “I wanted to be ready to go into the workplace, and APU is a good transition from learning theory in undergrad studies to adding experience in the field. The program is also taught by people who work in the industry, so what I’m learning is current and relevant information.”
In the biotech program, Mtonga has worked in the new tissue engineering lab. In the spring semester, Mtonga studied tissue culture by growing mammalian liver cells. The lab team’s long term goal is to eliminate pharmaceutical animal testing. “In the future, we will work to turn celloids into organoids using a 3D tissue printer,” she said. “Then we can use the organoids made from our own cells to study how toxicity levels affect the human body.”
A significant aspect of the program is APU’s long standing partnership with Gilead Sciences, a nearby pharmaceutical company in La Verne. Students complete an internship in the lab to put what they have learned into practice and gain experience in the field. Mtonga is working in technical services at Gilead where she is part of a team that develops analytical and validation methods. She has also worked in the forensics lab getting acquainted with the machinery. She hopes to help on more projects as she continues her internship.
APU’s biotech program has provided essential training when it comes to the internship’s practical application component. “I love APU’s program because it’s practical. Everything that we learn in the syllabus applies to my work at Gilead,” Mtonga said. “In class we learned about the FDA and their requirements for pharmaceutical companies which is good to know. With everything the company does, we need to think about the ethics of the end products and how they will affect people. We also learned about the commercialization of technology which is important since Gilead is a manufacturer of new drugs. My statistics classes have helped me tremendously in lab testing.”
However, the biotech industry is not limited to pharmaceuticals. “Because of my classes and internship, I’ve been exposed to different biotech fields,” Mtonga said.
“When you only know so much, you can only aim so high. What I’ve learned has opened my mind to more possibilities, and I’m challenged to aim higher. Since I’ve been in America, I’ve realized how much is possible in the biotech industry.”
Mtonga has also grown in her faith at APU. “Chapel is a great experience because living in Zimbabwe was like living in a bubble since the majority of people were Christian,” she said. “APU has a diverse population unified by God. Students come from all over the world but have faith in common, and that’s a really big deal.” Mtonga believes it’s important to integrate her faith into her studies. “I see my work and faith as one thing,” she said. “God gave us biotech to help people and we are called to serve, so in my studies I am doing everything as unto the Lord. APU helped me to realize that science and faith go together.”
After graduation, Mtonga hopes to complete her Optional Practical Training (OPT), an extended internship for post-grad graduate students for added experience. Once she completes that, Mtonga would like to open her own lab in her home city. “Having a lab would change a lot of things not only for my city but for my country as well,” she said. “I want to take back home what I’ve learned for the betterment of my community.”
Mtonga believes that an integral part of APU is the students and faculty. “There are so many people who want to help you achieve your dreams,” she said. “As an international student, being far from home can be confusing, but there is help around the corner for any challenges you face. I appreciate that there’s always someone that you can turn to for help and resources available to help me reach my goals.”