A Tale of Two Siblings

By Amanda (Shine ‘05) Zambrano

Students’ paths into Houghton’s pre-med track might look somewhat similar, but siblings Dr. Jonathan Figueroa ’13 and Dr. Alyssa Figueroa ’14 discovered that the paths beyond Houghton are as unique and varied as the students themselves.

Jonathan came to Houghton in the fall of 2009 thanks to a desire to study at a Christian liberal arts college known for its strong pre-med program and a little guidance from fellow Timothy Christian School (Piscataway, NJ) alumnus Tyler Haggerty ’08. Although Jonathan didn’t initially plan to play collegiate soccer, a campus visit introduced him to the coach at the time, Dr. Matthew Webb, and a team of great young men—solidifying Jonathan’s decision to attend Houghton and pursue a biology degree on the pre-med track.

Alyssa, like Jonathan, grew up with aspirations of becoming a physician. Although Houghton wasn’t initially at the top of her list, she loved the small class sizes and intimate feel of campus. During a campus visit for a winter indoor soccer tournament, Alyssa met Coach David Lewis and a few incoming teammates. The opportunity to study in the Balkans with Houghton’s East Meets West honors program was the final selling point. A year after her brother, Alyssa also enrolled at Houghton as a biology major on the pre-med track.

The Figueroa siblings were attracted by the way Houghton faculty individualized the pre-health professions track. According to Dr. Jamie Potter, Interim Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Professor of Biology and Director of Pre-Health Professions, faculty help students identify what they love most about health professions and then align those passions with their academic and co-curricular experiences to put each student on the best possible path.

Both Jonathan and Alyssa benefitted from guidance and advising from Dr. Potter, along with insights from beloved Professor Emeritus of Biology Dr. Jim Wolfe, former biology professors Dr. Matthew Pelletier and Dr. Aaron Sullivan, and campus physician Dr. David Brubaker ’90. Alyssa had visions of internal medicine or pediatrics while Jonathan initially considered a career in international medicine.

“I liked having professors who really took the time to get to know me,” shared Jonathan. “They wanted me to perform well, but they also challenged me. Nothing was given, I had to work for it.” 

Alyssa reflected on the well-known challenges presented by Dr. Karen Torraca’s ’93 infamous organic chemistry course—affectionately (or not) known by generations of Houghton students as “O-Chem.”

“I had a conversation with Dr. Wolfe as well as Dr. Potter, wondering if I should keep pursuing medicine, if it was going to be possible for me,” said Alyssa. “They were mentors who assured me I was capable, that everyone struggles and it wasn’t meant to be easy. That close mentorship was important to me.” 

Jonathan’s international interests resulted in a minor in public health, which included a study abroad opportunity in Ecuador with former intercultural studies professor Dr. Ndunge Kiiti ’88. Dr. Kiiti inspired Jonathan to see health beyond a medical and pharmaceutical viewpoint, helping him discover how to integrate his faith with his work—a formative learning experience he carries into his work today.

Alyssa explored options in both osteopathic and allopathic medicine, and in her advising with Dr. Potter discovered that osteopathic medicine was the right approach to her career aspirations. Alyssa found Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), in Erie, Pennsylvania, to be the right option for her to pursue medical school.

Jonathan was intent on pursuit of allopathic medicine. After Houghton, Jonathan attended St. George University School of Medicine (Grenada), motivated by St. George’s placement rate at his residence hospital of choice—New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. After three years in residency, Jonathan did a two-year fellowship at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Today, Jonathan is an endocrinologist at New York University Langone, where he teaches residents, primarily in an outpatient clinical setting. Alyssa did her residency in internal medicine at Jefferson Health Northeast in Philadelphia. When her husband Lucas, a member of the US Air Force, was stationed for active duty in Tucson, Arizona, she took on the role of internal medicine hospitalist at Northwest Healthcare—Tucson. She recently was also appointed Associate Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at the hospital.

The Figueroa siblings carry the things they learned at Houghton with them as they serve their patients on opposite sides of the country.