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ATLANTA — Biology major Alejandra Tapia Batres has always had high expectations for herself.
Despite being the first in her family to attend college, Tapia Batres said she had every confidence she would make it to graduation this May — showing peers and family that anyone can defy the odds.
“Graduating is a bit of a miracle,” Tapia Batres said. “I was scared to be another statistic of a Hispanic who doesn’t have a degree.”
In high school, Tapia Batres developed a passion for biology after taking an honors biology course. During her time at Georgia State, she has taken advantage of career-preparation opportunities, landing several internships and gaining valuable experience for a future career in bioinformatics.
Since last fall, she has interned with Georgia Audubon’s Project Safe Flight program to help protect Atlanta’s bird population.
Through the internship, she has helped researchers better understand the issue of bird collisions with buildings in the Atlanta metro area. The goal of the project, which began in 2015, is to determine which species are colliding with buildings most often, how many birds are affected, what parts of town are most problematic and what can be done to make Atlanta a more bird-friendly city.
“When birds migrate, unfortunately they’re dying because of collisions with low-rise buildings,” Tapia Batres said. “The birds may see a tree in the reflection of a building and don’t realize the tree isn’t real until it’s too late.”
As a part of the internship, Tapia Batres has gained experience in field work, data collection and leadership. She was responsible for establishing a walking route to observe which areas around Georgia State were problematic for migrating birds and geotagging the locations.
Originally from Mexico, Tapia Batres said her parents didn’t have the opportunity to further their education. Her father, who works in construction, and her mother, a cleaning professional, worked long hours to provide a better life for their family.
“Going to school wasn’t an option for my parents when they were in Mexico,” Tapia Batres said. “They left everything they knew in Mexico. I’m grateful for everything I’ve been through. I’m ready to make an impact in society.”
—Story by Horace Holloman