Life After Mac: Real Stories of alumni finding their way—Sergio
My name is Sergio Raez Villanueva, and I am a McMaster University alumni who lives in Mississauga, Ontario! I pursued my Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree (Honours Biology — Physiology Specialization) with a Double Minor in Music and Statistics back in 2016–2020. I then did my Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Medical Sciences, 2020–2022, wrapping up my studies at McMaster as Valedictorian for my graduating class!
Right after graduating from Mac in Fall 2022, I decided to “change it up” a bit from the world of science and run in the local municipal elections for the Catholic School Board Trustee in Mississauga. I had very little experience campaigning or being part of a large public election, but I wanted to gain experience and try something new! Concurrently that Fall, I also had just started working at University Health Network (UHN) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto as a Research Coordinator in oncology trials. Although my formal education was more wet lab-based, I wanted to expand my horizons in the world of clinical research. That fall was extremely busy juggling an election and campaigning while also adjusting to a full-time career! Although in the end I was not successfully elected, I was proud of my efforts in reaching out to the community outside of my scientific (and athletic) background.
My advice to anyone is to always try out new things as they can lead to new possibilities, or, even if not, lead to expanding one’s mindset on what different opportunities have to offer. I use my own advice very seriously since, also concurrently, I tapped into my past athletic varsity background as a student-athlete at McMaster and ran my first-ever marathon (42.2km)! In October 2022 I ran the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, placing 10th overall and being the 4th Canadian with a time of 02:18:04! My tenacity and focus on long-distance running have always helped me to be very committed in my training, but these qualities have also helped in my education. Now, these skills help me in the workforce by being a team player with a hard-working ethic. Working in a high-paced hospital setting with very dedicated doctors, nurses, and all other hospital staff to bring the best quality of care to our patients while striving for progress in cancer research is extremely rewarding. My job is interdisciplinary and, again, it is this openness to diverse opportunities that has allowed many different experiences to help in different areas of my life, including my work at UHN (also helping me get a promotion in 2023)!
Finally, as a part-time sports instructor for the City of Mississauga, and a volunteer coach for the Mississauga Track & Field Club (MTFC), I give back to my community by bringing healthy active living through coaching in sports including athletics (it is very rewarding coaching high school athletes — I was once in their shoes at MTFC!). In early 2023, I co-founded (with another McMaster student-athlete alumni) an adult competitive running club, the Sauga Striders, which has been an invaluable experience while still training competitively on my end and bringing my passion for running to my community. My personal running achievements have also led me to run more marathons in 2023 (i.e., Vancouver and once again Toronto!).
In 2024, I continue doing what I love and keeping an open mind to the next opportunity that will help me learn further to improve myself and my community — who knows? I may be back at school or travelling the world next! Whether it’s a long or short path, successful or not, it’s all part of a great story to become the best version of ourselves.
Sergio Raez Villanueva
BSc Biology ’20, MSc Medical Sciences ‘22
The Office of Alumni Engagement will be featuring recent grad’s career stories to show career paths are anything but linear. If you graduated in the last 10 years and are interested, share your story.
If you are looking to get started on your own journey, take advantage of the resources available to recent graduates through our partnership with the Student Success Centre.
