When Jz Kamille Eclarin arrived at the University of Houston-Downtown, she planned to become a nurse. Today, she is a chemistry major in the Sustainability Program, an Honor’s student, a researcher, and the newest recipient of the prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship, an honor awarded annually to a single UHD student whose leadership and commitment to community engagement distinguishes them among their peers.
For Eclarin, the fellowship recognizes a philosophy of service that has guided her throughout college and shaped her vision for the future.
“I am motivated by the belief that consistent service, education, and mentorship address root causes of inequity and empower communities to thrive,” Eclarin wrote in her application to the fellowship.
That belief emerged early in her college career through hands-on service. As a freshman, Eclarin started working with the Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) and the Life Tree Ministries, tutoring refugee children in English, math, science, and music, an experience that reinforced the transformative power of education and personal investment.
As she progressed at UHD, so did her opportunities to volunteer. Through service-learning projects, Eclarin worked directly with local communities while connecting classroom concepts to real-world challenges. One project partnered with the Houston Gem and Mineral Society led to an insightful conversation regarding the impact of pharmaceutical pollution on local waterways. The experience sparked a deeper interest in environmental stewardship, which started when she joined the Texas Stream Team, where she monitored chemical levels in area waterways and contributes to community-based environmental research. She continues environmental stewardship with the Sustainability Program, learning about and preparing for applications of renewable technologies within UHD.
Today, Eclarin continues to invest in others through her role as a Peer Mentor under Dr. Mary Jo Parker in Scholars Academy. In addition to guiding fellow students through their transition to college life, she coordinates volunteer opportunities for a group of 12 honors students, helping them discover meaningful ways to engage with and serve their communities.
The leadership she demonstrates now is rooted in the support she received as a student herself.
Throughout her academic career, faculty mentors consistently challenged her to pursue opportunities beyond what she thought possible. Their encouragement helped transform her initial career plans and opened doors to research experiences, fellowships, and professional development programs. Eclarin has since been named a Single Cell and Spatial Omics Fellow with the Gulf Coast Consortium, an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Scholar, and a participant in Yale’s School of Medicine PATHS, a program designed to support students pursuing careers as physician-scientists.
“Without Dr. Xyanthine Parillon’s encouragement, I wouldn’t have gotten this far,” Eclarin said. “Before I even knew what I wanted to do, she always pushed the initiative to just shoot for the moon to land among the stars.”
That support led Eclarin to one of her first research experiences, where she gained exposure to new academic pathways and a broader vision for her future. She also credits Natural Sciences Associate Professor Jacob Theruvathu, her sophomore General Chemistry professor, with patiently guiding her through her earliest experiences in laboratory research.
Reflecting on her experience, Eclarin sees a direct connection between the mentorship that shaped her and the service she now provides to others: “A common theme that I recognize among university faculty is that they’re just so open to being a helping hand,” she said. “Other people having confidence in me built up my confidence.”
As she prepares for the MCAT and pursues a future in medicine and research, Eclarin hopes to continue creating opportunities for others through mentorship, education, and service. The same support that empowered her has become the foundation of her leadership, and as a Newman Civic Fellow, she is committed to extending that impact even further.