A conversation between the Graduate Biomedical Engineering Society and Samantha Perez, a third year PhD student in Kim Kelly's Lab. Sam: I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California but I have spent a lot of time in Oaxaca, Mexico. I consider both places home. Sam: I graduated from Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering with a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering. Sam: When I visited, I was struck by how close knit the department is as well as by the various opportunities students have to pursue both their academic and professional interests.