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From Steppingstone to Harvard: Advancing Equity Through Service and Science

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When Carly Ramos walks younger Steppingstone Scholars through Harvard University’s campus, she is reminded how deeply she internalized one of Steppingstone’s defining messages: “I am going to college.”

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Now a senior at Harvard studying molecular & cellular biology and the history of medicine on the premedical track, Carly continues to carry Steppingstone values into her work as a researcher, mentor, and advocate for first-generation and low-income students.

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“I have a passion for educational equity in an educational system that was not constructed with students like me in mind.”

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A graduate of the Curley K-8 School and Boston Latin School, Carly describes her early years as a Steppingstone Scholar as formative to the way she approaches service and leadership today. Through summer and academic year programming, she formed friendships with fellow Scholars that “stay with [her] today” while continuing to challenge herself academically and expand her sense of what was possible.

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“From the get-go, I was taught that I had potential,” Carly reflected. “Was Steppingstone going to reveal it to me on a silver platter? No. But they would give me the tools and environment to discover it for myself.”

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Paying It Forward

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As Carly grew within the Steppingstone community, she also found herself giving back to it.

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With the support of her Steppingstone Advisor, Carly became an admissions ambassador, helping connect prospective families and Scholars to Steppingstone over the course of five years. She later returned to teach Latin during summer programming and founded a club at Boston Latin School to recruit student volunteers for Steppingstone’s weekly tutoring sessions.

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Today, Carly continues her commitment to mentorship and educational equity at Harvard as Co-President of Harvard Undergraduate PRIMUS, the university’s oldest and only student organization dedicated to supporting first-generation and low-income students.

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Through PRIMUS, Carly has helped organize campus tours and conversations for current Steppingstone Scholars interested in learning more about Harvard and the opportunities that college can offer. 

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She explains that Steppingstone’s promise was never simply aspirational. “Such a promise was and continues to be heavily emulated in Steppingstone’s actions,” Carly shared, pointing to the immense support and encouragement she received from staff, Advisors, and fellow Scholars throughout her journey.

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Advocacy, Research, and Expanding Opportunity

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At Harvard, Carly has served as chair of the Citizenship Tutoring Program under the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, worked to increase health fluency among English-language learners, and advocated for first-generation students on campus.

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At the same time, she has pursued opportunities she once never imagined for herself.

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Carly currently conducts cancer neuroscience research at the Hwang Lab at Mass General Brigham, where she studies the relationship between nerves and pancreatic cancer cells in hopes of identifying future treatment targets. This past summer, she continued that work while preparing to write her senior thesis.

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Research also introduced Carly to another unexpected interest: biotechnology consulting. Through a consulting organization on campus, she has explored the intersection of science, technology, and business while collaborating with biotech companies.

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Looking Ahead

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As she launches her senior year, Carly is already looking ahead to postgraduate life. She hopes to spend a gap year continuing biomedical research abroad before applying to medical school, where she plans to pursue pediatric oncology. She also hopes to continue combining medicine with advocacy and public service through future graduate study.

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While much remains uncertain about the years ahead, Carly knows one thing will remain the same: “I can fully rely on one of the core constants of my academic and professional life,” she said. “My Steppingstone family.”