Montana Astoraga

In our alumni spotlight series, learn about KU Biology graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how The University of Kansas impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.

Degree & Year: Bachelor of Science in Biology, 2015

Job Title & Company: Clinical Site Manager at Roche

Tell us about what fills your time now? Professionally and otherwise?

Professionally, my weekdays are normally filled with work. I’m fortunate to be in a fully remote position with occasional travel, which allows me to have a healthy work/life balance. I’m usually on virtual meetings discussing and coordinating research studies regarding diagnostic products that will launch years into the future, reviewing a vast amount of data, and communicating with study investigators, and laboratory and hospital staff, to ensure that study objectives are met.

In addition to my full-time job responsibilities, I also work part-time at a gym facility. Shortly after college, I took an interest in health and fitness. Over time, it became a hobby and passion of mine. I love working out and I’ve been doing it consistently over the last 10 years. This part-time opportunity allows me to take advantage of a free gym membership while also getting out of the house and regularly meeting and connecting with new people. Aside from my professional duties, I enjoy snowboarding, hiking and exploring all that the beautiful state of Colorado has to offer.

Describe your path from KU to your current position.

My career began at Quest Diagnostics. I started out as a lab assistant working in the Special Chemistry department. About a year later, my peers and management saw my potential and knew I had the drive and skill set to become a Medical Technologist, which is exactly what happened. Honestly, I credit a little luck and timing to this because normally an MLT/MLS license and experience is required for an MT position, but I was made an exception.

After 5 years of gaining a vast amount of experience as a Medical Technologist, I was contacted by an ICON recruiter via LinkedIn regarding a Clinical Research Associate position. I had no idea what the position entailed, but I jumped at the opportunity, as this was right around the time me and my partner were making a move to Colorado. After a couple of interviews and learning more about what this new position had to offer, I was hired as a full-time internal FSP (Functional Service Provider) contractor. After 3 years of adding clinical research experience to my skill set, I was fortunate enough to be able to make some great connections at Roche to allow me the opportunity to transition into a full-time internal employee as a Clinical Site Manager.

How did your academic experience at KU prepare you for your professional life?

My academic experience at KU provided me with many life skills that I still use to this day, both professionally and personally, such as time management, prioritization and a strong work ethic. I learned very quickly after getting to college that no one was responsible for my academic success but myself. I had to manage my time between 3-5 different classes/labs (12-15 credit hours) each semester. I knew if I studied hard and completed my assignments on time that my efforts would pay off with good grades, and sometimes that meant prioritizing a weekend at the library instead of going out on Mass St.

This all very much carried over to my professional life because there were (and still are) many times I had to manage different projects/workloads within an 8-hour work day, or complete work assignments before hard deadlines set by management. Depending on the type of person you are, it can be difficult to prioritize simple things like that when working remote, where you can easily step away to run errands, take an extended lunch break, or log off early on a Friday afternoon.

What was a favorite class you took and why?

I wouldn’t say I had a favorite class, but I did really enjoy all of my science lab courses where I was physically doing things while learning. I’m definitely more of a hands-on learner rather than a visual learner, so I was always looking forward to spending hours in the lab vs hours in a lecture hall.

What extracurricular activities were you involved in, if any?

Looking back, I wish I was involved in extracurricular activities in college, but I wasn’t. I didn’t have the drive and motivation that I do now. I think it definitely would’ve helped me add a few more skills to my skill set.

Do you have a favorite KU memory?

I have so many that it’s hard to choose just one! I will say, almost all of my favorite core KU memories involved my best friend, Christin. She and I had the best time in college. It’s been 10 years since I graduated and we still talk about all of the fun times we had. We always had a great time going to the KU basketball games together at Allen Fieldhouse. There’s nothing quite like being in that atmosphere as a student.

Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that influential?

I was fortunate enough to land a paid internship opportunity during my senior year in college at a veterinary lab. The company was unfortunately acquired some months after I joined and I didn’t make the cut, but the time I invested there helped me gain valuable lab experience and connections that helped kick start my career.

What advice do you have for current or prospective University of Kansas students?

I think this is a difficult question to answer. I feel as though most of my advice may be outdated. The world has changed so much over the last 10 years, especially after COVID-19, that I feel that anything I say may be out of touch with today’s generation of college students.

 If I had to choose one thing to say though, I would advise to use your time in college to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. However tempting it may be, please don’t spend all of your time inside. Go out and find one person, or a group of people, who you can truly connect with. The connections you make in college can last you a lifetime. And who knows, some of those connections may benefit you after graduation when you’re looking for employment.

Why should a KU undergraduate consider majoring in biology?

In my opinion, I think a KU undergraduate should consider majoring in Biology if they have an interest in life sciences. There are numerous branches of Biology that you can study which will provide a strong foundation for a variety of careers in healthcare, research, environmental science, and more.