Ekaterina Kostioukhina, ALM 2021
From GED to MD and Harvard
I've had quite a few challenges in my life, but those are the lessons that made me stronger. As an immigrant, I had to work extra hard just to fit in. First, as a Russian kid who didn't speak any Spanish in Ecuador, and then as a teenager when my family relocated to the USA due to political persecution. Education was not the first priority in our hierarchy of needs. I started working to help my family at the age of 12. Surviving, healing, and adapting were first. Despite the challenges, the need to learn and become an integral member of society was always my calling. I remember going to the library and checking out a lot of science books and educational videos. That was my favorite place to go, my refuge. Due to life's circumstances, I couldn't go to High School but obtained my GED after learning English at ESOL classes. A college education followed. With the help of great mentors and visionary leaders, my dream of education was fulfilled with a scholarship to Medical School. And to make my scholarly fairytale even more magical, Harvard Extension School allowed me to continue pursuing my dream of education while taking care of my patients as an internal medicine doctor and being a parent to my children. The challenges and adversities that life gave me also gave me resilience and allowed me to discover the strength to not only survive, but to prevail.
Shoot for the moon, and even when you fail, you will land among the stars. Becoming a space medicine doctor.
Yes, I was that kid who wanted to be an astronaut. I remember reading physics books for fun and fantasizing about exploring exotic and far away worlds. When a was studying for my GED, I remember looking at the requisites for being an astronaut. An education in sciences was the first step, and I decided to start that thousand-mile journey by taking the first step. During my college education, I discovered medicine. I realized that studying the workings of the human body is as fascinating as traveling to faraway planets. By being a doctor, I decided that I could fulfill my dream of discovering through learning and, most importantly, with my skills, to help people who are suffering from illnesses.
Years later, to my surprise, when NASA was hiring astronauts in early 2020, I realized that I had all the requirements for it. And yes, I applied! While awaiting the reply, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am working as a first responder to underserved areas with infection spikes and providing consulting services on Space Medicine and human behavior in extreme environments. Together with my husband, Prof. Israel Reyes, who also has an inspiring life story, we work together for a common goal to give back to the community by volunteering motivational lectures to students and professors. Our message is to share the power of education and guide people to invest in the knowledge economy.
Our journey and education have taken us to faraway places that we have never imagined, such as providing training to military and governmental agencies and sharing our knowledge to a wider audience on television. I believe that the factors that contributed to all this success are two essential pearls of wisdom that I kept close to me, especially during difficult times:
"Shoot for the moon, and even if you fail, you will land among the stars."
&
"Opportunity favors the prepared mind."
My advice to the future generations
If you are just starting on your journey, enjoy every single day. It might seem difficult and frustrating at the moment, but remember your dreams. Keep going, one step at a time. Keep learning one skill at a time. Life is such that it is filled with challenges and adversities, but also opportunities. Those opportunities, favor the prepared mind.
Ekaterina Kostioukhina
ALM 2021 | Psychology
Extreme Environments and Space Medicine Consultant at Medical Society for Optimization of Human Performance in Space Environments
Compiled and Interviewed by Felicia Ho
To learn more about my journey, you can visit my page: https://scholar.harvard.edu/kostioukhina
and follow me on twitter @Kostioukhina_MD