禁漫天堂

Charlens Beneche (Biology, '18) knew from a young age he enjoyed studying science and medicine, and used his time at 禁漫天堂 to propel that interest into a top graduate program for Public Health and launch an impressive start to his young career: surveiling Covid-19 and its impact on public health.

鈥淲hen picking my undergraduate university, 禁漫天堂 had the perfect balance between affordability, a quality education, and a social life, making it the best value for me,鈥� said Beneche. 鈥淢y time at UMassD bolstered my passion in science and peaked my commitment to and participation in social justice, leading me to focus on health disparities.鈥�

Beneche, a first-generation college student, quickly made himself busy during his collegiate experience, working in two on-campus jobs, volunteering at Crossroads for Kids, joining the Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, becoming a member of six student organizations and founding one himself: .

鈥淚 think on-campus jobs are so important,鈥� said Beneche. 鈥淭hey allow for easy commuting, communication, and an understanding that you are a student first. Student leaders and organizations are key to improving and maintaining a successful campus.

鈥�Experience matters. Whether through extracurriculars, coursework, student organizations, on-campus positions, or internships, gaining experience makes life easier and helps you figure out what you want in your career.鈥�

Beneche, who says he was encouraged to study medicine and science from a young age, used this experience to figure out what area of health science he wanted to concentrate on, which led him to his current role as a Microbiologist II at the  (DPH).

鈥淚n my role, I run diagnostic testing and genomic sequencing of pathogens for state surveillance,鈥� said Beneche. 鈥淚 enjoy the crossover of working in the lab and practicing technical skills, with the mission of bettering marginalized communities.鈥�

Entering the workforce in November of 2020, and in public health no less, Beneche faced an uphill battle landing his dream career, as safety issues and budget cuts slowed hiring processes around the world, and virtual interviews made the process of feeling an organization鈥檚 work environment much harder. Beneche cites having a strong community of friends, mentors, and colleagues to seek support and guidance from as being key to his success.

鈥淚f you want to go fast, go alone,鈥� said Beneche. 鈥淚f you want to go far, go in group.鈥�

Looking Back 

In a 2018 feature story, Beneche said in his last year at UMass Dartmouth that 鈥榳hat makes UMassD unique is the people. The biggest goldmine that this university has to offer is the talent, compassion, and hope that walk these campus grounds.鈥� 

When asked if he stands by that today, Beneche added: 

鈥淎bsolutely. This pandemic really showed us that brick and mortar is not what makes a community, it's the people. As we progress through this pandemic and get back to some form of normal rekindling, it鈥檚 the social communities and interactions that will be paramount to creating positive communities, such as the one at 禁漫天堂. 

鈥淲hen looking back to my time at UMassD, I have especially fond memories of the Frederick Douglass Unity House, which was such a safe space for me. I鈥檓 also especially proud of the progress and events created by student leaders and organizations.鈥� 

"This pandemic really showed us that brick and mortar is not what makes a community, it's the people. As we progress through this pandemic and get back to some form of normal rekindling, it鈥檚 the social communities and interactions that will be paramount to creating positive communities, such as the one at 禁漫天堂."