A $60 Bus Pass, A Lifetime of Impact: How Donor Support Kept Two Future Physicians on Track

Publish Date: Aug. 5, 2026

This summer, two students in Crafton Hills College's Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, Orume Igbako and Luis Castillo Gonzalez, spent their days immersed in microbiology research thanks to the generosity of CHC Foundation donors. Each student received a $60 bus pass—a small investment that made a summer research internship possible.

Working alongside Dr. Andrea Dillon, Igbako and Castillo Gonzalez conducted research focused on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an area of growing importance in healthcare.

Igbako's project examined biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae co-cultured with ampicillin-resistant E. coli, while Castillo Gonzalez investigated the effects of antibiotic resistance on the effectiveness of essential oils—including orange, lavender, eucalyptus, and oregano—against gram-negative bacteria with similar mechanisms of resistance. Their work contributes to a greater understanding of antibiotic resistance, one of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges.

The research experience has been especially meaningful because each student's project is connected to healthcare issues that are important in their home countries. Igbako, from Nigeria, and Castillo Gonzalez, from Venezuela, found a strong sense of purpose by studying biological processes that could one day contribute to improving health outcomes in their communities.

According to Dr. Krysten Audibert, director of the MESA program, "They are doing projects they are genuinely passionate about. There is a strong sense of ownership because each project is closely related to healthcare in their home countries."

The experience has also been memorable on a personal level. As close friends, Igbako and Castillo Gonzalez spent their final summer at Crafton Hills College learning side by side, supporting one another as they prepared for the next step in their academic journeys.

This fall, both students will transfer to continue pursuing their dreams of becoming physicians. Igbako will attend the University of California, Riverside, and Castillo Gonzalez will attend the University of California, Irvine.

Their success is a powerful reminder that generosity doesn't have to be grand to be transformative. For a total investment of just $120, donors removed a critical transportation barrier for two promising students, making this life-changing opportunity possible. Sometimes, the path to changing lives begins with something as simple as a bus pass.