MELP Scholar Cecia Flores Sanchez Makes Her Mark
The distance from Tegucigalpa, the capital city of the Republic of Honduras, to Saint Paul, the capital city of Minnesota, is approximately 2,200 miles by air or 3,033 miles if you choose to drive. But Cecia Flores Sanchez dreamed of studying for her master’s degree abroad long before receiving her BS in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.
Located in Tegucigalpa, the Universidad is 142 miles south of El Progreso, where Cecia grew up. That's far, but not quite as far as the University of Minnesota (U of M) where Cecia is currently pursuing a master's in Food Science in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences.
There were stops in between. In 2022, Cecia moved to Miami to learn English, but didn’t feel she was making progress. That’s when a fellow Honduran recommended Minnesota—the state, the University, and the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP).
“When I visited the University that October, I fell in love with it,” Cecia says. “The high-quality education and everything I explored on the website made it a dream to study there. As I walked around the Food Science and Nutrition building, I could imagine myself as a graduate student.”
Her next step: improving her English language skills by participating in MELP’s Intensive English Language Program (IEP) during the spring and summer of 2023. That fall, Cecia became one of the inaugural recipients of the newly established MELP Scholarship, allowing her to continue her studies in the IEP an additional semester.
The MELP Scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate strong academic performance and a clear vision of how studying with the program will contribute to their respective academic and professional goals. This scholarship helped Cecia to pursue the language skills she needed to showcase her dedication to and affinity for the food science field.
After just two months of volunteering in the University’s Ubbink Lab, she was hired as a research assistant and continued to work for the next seven months. In the final week of December 2023, Cecia was admitted to the master’s program in Food Science. Now she works as a research assistant under the direction of her advisor, Dr. George Annor.
“MELP’s Intensive English Language Program provided a great opportunity to learn English in an academic context,” she shares. “None of this would have been possible without the MELP Scholarship that I received last fall.”
CCAPS recently had the opportunity to speak with Cecia about her studies and her U of M experience.
In Her Own Words
Your background in chemical engineering seems ideally suited for food science. Why did you decide to follow this career path?
I believe that being a chemical engineer has really equipped me to understand the science behind food, which is such an amazing world. Ever since elementary school, I’ve been curious about how foods are made. I would always read the labels, even though I didn’t fully understand them at the time. When I searched for a food science program in Honduras, the closest option I found was chemical engineering.
I also love cooking, which naturally deepened my passion for food science. I enjoyed my time working in the bakery industry, but the highlight of my journey was when I joined the Ubbink Lab in the Food Science department. That’s where I got real hands-on experience doing science with food. I worked on a project about plant-based meat, and that experience was truly amazing.
Tell us more about the research projects you have been working on. I understand one involves the renowned Forever Green Initiative and another is somehow connected to Honduras.
Currently, I am working on three different projects, two of which are with my advisor, Professor George Annor.
We have a project with the Forever Green Initiative. We are working with a perennial crop called intermediate wheatgrass, which is the first perennial grain crop commercially available in the market for human consumption. I am analyzing the impact of nitrogen fertilizer application on starch functionality, and I will be researching the application of intermediate wheatgrass in meat analogues with the extrusion process.
In addition, I am working on a project from Honduras that involves the use of freeze-drying technology to process the rambutan fruit to help the producers to make it shelf stable.
This summer, I worked with Professor Job Ubbink on a project about water activity devices in partnership with the Minnesota Farmers' Market Association.
Rumor has it that you enjoy baking and have been known to arrive at the MELP office with delicious treats to share. What’s your favorite thing to bake?
I really enjoy cooking, baking, and sharing desserts, Honduran dishes, and new recipes with everyone. It’s hard to pick just one favorite, but I love baking treats that make those around me happy. Some of my go-to recipes include tres leches, chocoflan, brownies, and pineapple empanadas.
A year after you began studying with MELP, your brother Jose also became a MELP student. What has it meant to you to study at the University alongside your brother?
After studying at MELP for a semester, I felt that my brother Jose could benefit from the same organized and excellent program. He joined MELP in summer 2023 and continued for two additional terms. My main reason for wanting him to study at the University was to ensure he had the same solid foundation in English that I had, which would help him pursue his own dream of becoming a master's student here. I believe MELP provides all the essential tools needed to prepare for US college programs and covers every detail necessary for a successful academic journey.
What do you love most about MELP?
Studying at MELP was an enriching experience. It is hard to choose one thing, I can say that I loved having such qualified teachers ready to teach with passion. I enjoyed having classmates from all over the world, each one contributed a lot to my learning. Also, I enjoyed all the activities I participated in such as visiting museums, retirement homes, farms, etc. These gave me a boost in my oral skills.
Forging Ahead
You're about to start your second semester as a master’s student. What are you most looking forward to this academic year?
I think I am most excited to continue to learn more about food science in different settings and deepen my knowledge. I am also looking forward to continuing my research and seeing the results in different projects.
Do you have any advice for future MELP students?
Learning English is a challenge for everyone. My advice to students is to remember that no matter how difficult it may seem or how much progress you think you’re not making, you will notice improvements sooner or later. So don’t lose heart. Enjoy the process, get involved in activities that challenge you to practice, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes—we all make them.
Christian D. Larson says, “Believe in yourself and all that you are, know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”
Learn more about MELP Scholarship eligibility and how to apply.
Help support Intensive English Program students through the MELP Scholarship,
Anastasia Faunce is a writer and content strategist with the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, covering the College’s personal enrichment, pre-college, ESL, and long term care programs, as well as its engagement efforts. The former director of several CCAPS programs, she worked as the director of public relations for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design prior to joining the University. Connect with her via LinkedIn.
