Camille Plummer: Mother of Nine, Innovator, and FIU Alumna Leave a comment
Kaysea Suzana | Assistant Entertainment Director
Biochemistry major and rising senior Camille Plummer ambitiously tackles parenthood and pharmaceutical tech.
Plummer immigrated from Jamaica with her family and a diagnostic radiography degree more than a decade ago.
However, since U.S. policy required her to complete a new radiography licensure exam, and earn another degree, she decided to pursue higher education in FIU.
After learning about StartUP FIU, an entrepreneurship resource hub for students, Plummer would participate in its GSK pharmaceutical innovation challenge.
Plummer had first-hand experience with GSK as a customer for their asthma-preventer inhalers.
“Since GSK’s products have been essential in keeping me healthy, it is a privilege to be able to work with them to better understand and, hopefully, help dismantle health disparities in traditionally underserved communities,” said Plummer.
StartUP FIU and GSK challenged involved students to engineer solutions for underlying health programs in underrepresented communities.
Emily Gresham, assistant vice president for research, innovation and economic development and co-founder of StartUP FIU, spoke about student entrepreneurship in the pharmaceutical world.
“Here at StartUP FIU, we teach students to think through problems with an innovative lens,” said Gresham.
“That involves asking the tough questions, truly understanding your customer and designing solutions that are in line with their wants and needs.”
Through StartUP FIU’s challenge and her studies, Plummer practiced vital entrepreneurial skills like customer discovery, or how companies like GSK determine their clients by their specific medical circumstances.
As she makes plans to attend medical school, Plummer hopes to teach her nine children, especially her daughters, the importance of perseverance in every part of life.
“I want them to understand that they don’t have to choose between being career-women or being mothers, to know that it is possible to earn that diploma no matter what else is going on in their lives,” she said.
“They have the power to make their dreams come true and I want to be a living example of that.”
