Belmont Native, MassBay Alum Awarded Science Scholarship

BELMONT, MA — MassBay Community College announced that alumna, Camila Wendorff of Belmont has been awarded the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation inaugural Henri A. Termeer Student Scholarship. The Scholarship was presented virtually at MassBioEd’s fifth annual Champions for Biotechnology Education Award Reception on Nov. 18 which celebrated outstanding advocacy for and support of biotechnology educational programs in Massachusetts.

In celebration of Henri A. Termeer’s commitment to scientific discovery and mentorship of aspiring and accomplished scientists, the MassBioEd Henri A. Termeer Student Scholarship program presents one outstanding student who plans to enroll in an eligible two- or four-year life sciences undergraduate program with $2,500 for their college tuition. The Chair and Co-Founder of The Termeer Foundation, Belinda Termeer, presented the Henri A. Termeer Student Scholarship Award.

“I am delighted to recognize the accomplishments of Camila Wendorff as the 2020 recipient of the Henri A. Termeer scholarship,” said Belinda Termeer. “My late husband, Henri Termeer, understood the need to support and encourage those young scientists, who would provide the scientific knowledge and leadership that may lead to future research discoveries and medical breakthroughs. This award, in conjunction with the work of MassBioEd, offers a deserving junior scientist the opportunity to pursue their academic goals and a career in the life science industry.”

“I am delighted to recognize the accomplishments of Camila Wendorff as the 2020 recipient of the Henri A. Termeer scholarship,” said Belinda Termeer. “My late husband, Henri Termeer, understood the need to support and encourage those young scientists, who would provide the scientific knowledge and leadership that may lead to future research discoveries and medical breakthroughs. This award, in conjunction with the work of MassBioEd, offers a deserving junior scientist the opportunity to pursue their academic goals and a career in the life science industry.”

Wendorff, an international student from Brazil, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology with a focus on epidemiology at Framingham State University. She was inspired to come to the United States by her grandmother, who struggled with cancer and whose illness motivated Wendorff to study cancer research.

Wendorff first came to the U.S. and MassBay to learn English and work in an Au Pair program. By quickly learning the language and saving enough money through her employment and from her family in Brazil who sold off some of their farmland, she was able to enroll full-time at MassBay. At MassBay, Wendorff was involved in the STEM Mentor program as a mentee, while also mentoring fellow students and younger girls to further their interest in STEM. To honor and memorialize her grandmother, Wendorff plans to continue her academic studies in graduate school, focusing on epigenetics.

“I am very honored to receive the first Henri A. Termeer Student Scholarship Award,” said Wendorff. “This transfer scholarship represents the start of a new chapter of my academic career where I’ve been supported and acknowledged from day one. I am thankful for this opportunity and the motivation it has given me towards my academic career.”