By Chad Saleska
From scholarship and leadership to service and character, Isaac Ali personifies the four pillars of a Park Scholar.
As a student in NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he has gained knowledge from mentors, advised incoming students, completed research projects and mentored local youth.
“As a Park Scholar, I’ve been able to solidify my interests and carve my niche, particularly in service and leadership,” says Ali, who graduates on May 3. “The Park Scholars program’s commitment to service encouraged me to pursue service opportunities that did more than check a box.”
The Park Scholarships program, which awards four-year scholarships based on student accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service and character, has dramatically impacted Ali’s time at NC State and positively affected his career trajectory.
“It gave me the freedom and flexibility to pursue opportunities that may otherwise have been inaccessible,” Ali says. “Starting my first day on campus, the Park faculty dedicated their time and offered support. It’s a lifelong support network that I can continue to lean on.”
Faculty Support Grows Experiences and Opportunities
Ali originally intended to study chemical engineering and political science but quickly became interested in biochemistry and history and then explored how he could incorporate different interests into research.
“I changed my major to history after finding a professor willing to support an interdisciplinary thesis studying the intersection of health and humanities,” says Ali, referring to his honors thesis in history. He is also majoring in biochemistry.
He conducts research in the chemistry department, focusing on improving how cells make terpenes — important natural chemicals used in things like medicines and fragrances — by cloning a sensor inside the cell that helps track how much of those chemicals are being made.
“My research overlaps chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, chemical engineering and microbiology. I never have to choose between my interests.”
Ali’s emphasis on research developed during his freshman year, leading to his selection as a Beckman Scholar and his funding for two years of mentored research under Gavin Williams, head of the Department of Chemistry. Leveraging that experience, Ali joined the Office of Undergraduate Research as a research ambassador for incoming students.
“Being a research ambassador significantly impacted my four years at NC State,” he says. “I engaged with many students, advising them on pursuing research and finding the right faculty for support.”
Last summer, Ali interned at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) during a 10-week residential research program for undergraduates interested in biotechnology. “I got to extend my work into translational research, which bridges basic scientific discoveries with clinical applications.”
New Perspective on Service
Service is a central focus of Ali’s academic journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched a remote tutoring program for younger students suffering from education gaps created by online learning.
In 2023, Ali partnered with Raleigh-based organization Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N), a community program that aims to alleviate the stunting effects of poverty on youth education and development.
“I found a community helping local youth, which profoundly resonates with me,” says Ali, who also works as a volunteer EMT at the Open Door Clinic in Raleigh. “At first, I was in charge of about a dozen teens, but our end goal was to create a one-on-one mentorship model to ensure each student had a familiar support system.”
As more mentors joined N2N, Ali narrowed his focus to a single student and helped implement teen leadership initiatives and health workshops into the program.
“Serving for two years at N2N and helping it grow into a larger community-oriented organization dramatically altered my perspective on and approach to meaningful and effective service,” Ali says.
A Bright Future
Ali plans on taking a gap year after graduation to apply for M.D.-Ph.D. programs, seeking to focus on long-term immunology research to develop personalized immunotherapies.
He has ambitious goals, but is confident NC State has prepared him both scholastically and personally.
“Faculty supported me every step of the way, which was crucial,” Ali says.
“It was only through experimenting that I could feel confident in my interests — and that wouldn’t have been possible without faculty support and the unique coursework available in CALS.”
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