For Daniel Ram, faith and family continue to provide a shining path to success.
Daniel, the former Queen’s College and Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) top boy, recently qualified for a full scholarship at Tufts University in the United States to pursue a PhD in Immunology.
When you consider his academic achievements at only age 22, you are likely to think that he is an exceptional young man. He already holds a BA Degree in Chemistry and Biology from the Concordia College, in the US; he was also the top Guyana and Caribbean student at 2003 CXC examinations; he placed seventh in the country at the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination; and is the holder of a few first ever titles at the CXC level.
However, neither he nor his parents, Chatterpaul Ram, dentist and pastor of the Baptist Church and Ruth Ram, a doctor who works at the GUM clinic, are of the opinion that he is exceptional. He says, “The very person that I am, my attitude towards the pursuit of any goal comes from knowing God.” This he believes combined with his family whom he said supports him spiritually, emotionally and financially “affects my ability to be the student that I am.”
Dr Ram believes that his children are “normal children” and thinks that “all children have the ability” to excel and what they lack is support. “As parents and communities we need to support the dreams of children. All children need to know that they are loved unconditionally,” he says. And love, he explains, is not material rather it is expressed in the time spent with one’s children.
As for Daniel’s success so far, Dr Ram says he is “so proud and happy” and pointed out that it was a long road for his son since the period in which he wrote his CXC exams was a trying time for the country. Dr Ram then credited his wife, saying, “They have an extraordinary mother,” who dedicated her time to raising and working with her children all the way.
College life
Before qualifying to Tufts, one of the leading research universities in the US, Daniel spent the last four years at Concordia College in Moorehead, Minnesota. He spent three years doing research and described it as an outstanding and fantastic experience. While there, Daniel says he had the chance to intern at some of the “really top-notch places,” doing research in molecular parasitology.
As an intern at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Daniel did research in plant psychology and it was while interning at Harvard he undertook research in virology and immunology and studied viral mutation and the effect on HIV. Daniel, who wants to use science for God’s glory, decided he wanted to find cures for diseases. “I always liked trying to understand how things work, especially the body,” he says.
It was with this aim in mind that he applied at various universities for a scholarship to pursue his doctorate in immunology. He was accepted at both John Hopkins University and Tufts but he says he chose Tufts because, “I believe the programme of Tufts is better and I like the intellectually aggressive atmosphere. It has a good academic environment and it’s a useful and vibrant city that reminds me of Guyana.” Tufts is located in Boston, Massachusetts.
While at Tufts, Daniel intends to study ways to help the body recognise and fight off diseases. In particular, he wants to understand Natural Killer (NK) cells and how to make them play a significant role in the fight against HIV as well as further his work in viral mutation and the effect on HIV. To make his time more challenging at Tufts, Daniel hopes to complete what is a seven-year programme in four years. Although he admits that he sometimes bites off more than he can chew, he says it also gives him the momentum to move forward.
Giving back
While the drive to go on is inspired by God, the need to give back is something that Daniel says has been ingrained in him by his family. And he has many plans for assisting in the development of education and subsequently the society.
Among his plans is establishing a research institute which “would open possibilities for students” to have hands-on knowledge, not just what they read in textbooks. He would also like to enhance the university level both in Guyana and the Caribbean. Daniel believes that education in Guyana is excellent but he stresses the need for more research-oriented work at the university level. He also highlights the need for high-tech equipment and the development of the science field through the university.
Daniel cautions, however, that these are all mid-to-long-term goals he hopes to achieve after he completes his PhD and admits he only has an outline of his plans so far. However, he is determined to work around it to realise his goals. Daniel says though he plans to contribute to boosting the education level in Guyana, to truly develop the society all persons need to become involved. When he is not dreaming big and making academic success seem as easy as your ABCs, Daniel enjoys spending his time playing his piano. He is passionate about music and sport especially volleyball. And he admits that he does not enjoy studying much and instead attributes his attentive listening to his ability to perform well. He also prefers to spend his time with people learning different things. Daniel says too that he loves a challenge and enjoys spending time serving God.
Daniel is currently holidaying in Guyana at his church’s annual summer camp at River’s View, Goshen. He says being at camp allows him to remove himself from worldly influences and get back to God. Daniel leaves in September to begin his studies at Tufts.
