Mirrors: Ritika Kommareddi, Clinical Research Assistant
The AdaMarie Mirrors reflect back to us the many roads (often winding, never smooth) to success! Real stories of real women to see yourself reflected in. At first, you’ll see Ritika in this mirror, but eventually, we hope you’ll see yourself.
Welcome Ritika Kommareddi!
Ritika Kommareddi reminds us that even if things aren’t going the way we originally planned, re-aligning your goals with your passions is the easiest way to find the determination and confidence to succeed.
Getting to Know You:
Field of Work: Clinical Psychology
Your STEM letter: S
Expertise In: Autism
Current Company: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Job Title: Clinical Research Assistant
One-liner about what you’re working on: I'm currently working on projects pertaining to early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Currently geeking out over: Renee Rapp!!
STEM hero (alive or dead!): Katherine Johnson
Tell us about your professional journey – how did you get where you are now?
I am in my 2nd year of working at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and am writing applications for Doctorate programs in Clinical Psychology. After quite a bit of debating and major-switching, I became a Psychology major at Johns Hopkins University. There, I became a fully-trained EMT, volunteered for the Crisis Text Line, and did autism research at Kennedy Krieger Institute. After Hopkins, I briefly worked at a small clinic in Maryland that specialized in sex chromosome disorders, and realized that my true passions lay in autism research. In February 2022, I was able to begin my dream job at CHOP, conducting studies related to early identification of autism.
We’re also curious to know your personal story and upbringing. What has made you “you”?
I have always been a HUGE fan of the arts and science, and earnestly pursued both throughout my child- and adulthood. I have been doing theatre for 8 years, and I owe the acquisition of most, if not all, of my communication and empathy skills to it. I play several instruments (guitar being my longest and favorite), and definitely consider myself to be a "mover" when it comes to dance. Music and dance have always been loves of mine, but didn't always come easily. They taught me perseverance, and that if I love something enough, I will always find the motivation to learn it. When I wasn't performing, I was volunteering at hospitals and reading books about the human body. My intense passion for both science and the arts were only nurtured in high school and college, and I am proud to say that I have been pursuing both in equal intensity for most of my life.
We know that real life isn’t a smooth and linear journey. What was your initiating moment that led you to your calling - can you tell us about that moment, what helped you move forward, what you learned/discovered?
I was convinced that I wanted to be a medical doctor until I went to college. I was doing everything right - volunteering at hospitals, taking all the right classes, making sure I was preparing in every domain. However, one thing simply could not come easily to me: exams. No matter what I did, I could not succeed in the required classes for medical schools. So, after a particularly nasty 23% on a calculus exam, I needed to reflect and ask myself if this was the right decision for me. It was confusing at first, because I knew I loved science and the human body, so why wasn't this clicking?
It was at that point I discovered the field of clinical psychology from a professor. I had been casually taking psychology classes throughout college because the subject interested me, but I believed that there were no job prospects after college. Once I learned that there was a field that served as a PERFECT intersection of my interests, I dove headfirst into the field.
“I was a bit behind in the major and needed to make up some work in order to be on track to apply to grad school, but the discovery of my real academic passions drove me to improve my grades, work in successful labs, and graduate with honors (which was a distant dream just one year prior).”
My main motivation was to make my past and future selves proud. Once I had realized what I was truly meant to do, I wanted to become the best. I wanted to learn all that there was to learn - everything my past self wanted to know, and everything my future self would need to know.
You’re a working woman in a performance-driven industry. Where do you find balance?
While in the workforce, I have learned how to set effective boundaries. As women, we sometimes feel that we need to work MORE in order to receive the same praise as a man doing less. I am lucky enough to work in a female-dominated field, and we emphasize that the key is not quantity, but quality. So, I work the number of hours I originally agreed to in my contract; I refrain from distracting activities during the work day, and I take short breaks so I can continue producing high-quality work.
“Boundaries have allowed me to take time to myself so I can get back to work refreshed and motivated to create meaningful research.”
If you were a part of the human body, what would you be?
Definitely the amygdala, I feel like it's the most chaotic part of the brain. I would never get bored!
Anything else you would like to share?
“I would just encourage people to participate in research studies that they are eligible for!”
If you are hesitant, reach out to the study team and ask about their work - even if someone does not join a study I am conducting, I still love to spread the word about what we're hoping to learn in the work we do.