Meet Cristal Ortiz | College Student & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristal Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristal, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Be patient, trust yourself and your grind.”
When progress is not immediate, many get frustrated. That frustration leads to a lack of motivation and eventually to a halt in grinding. You have to keep in mind that progress doesn’t happen overnight. A grinding mentality is one of the hardest things to maintain if it is not strong. It’s going to be steady progress when it comes to achieving your fitness goals. Don’t simply give up because you lack the patience to dedicate yourself to a long-term goal. Quitting a goal just because it can become a long process is not good enough. In my hometown gym, there’s a quote that says “If it was easy everybody would do it.” This is completely true. It is not an easy and fast process. It is up to you to be patient. Trust yourself and your grind.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My everyday life has mostly been me as a college student on the pre-med track, I am a Neuroscience major, so I love everything that has to do with neuro. I am also a social media content creator and create content that spans fitness, exercise, and everyday life as a college student.

I am most proud of where I come from. My family has Mexican roots, and we are very focused in working hard. My family is my pride and joy, and all my hard work goes out to them. What sets me apart from others is that I am passionate about getting things done and will make sure that things get done and I have the credentials to prove so.

I hold an Associate’s in Arts from Sampson Community College (2021) and have been a certified Spanish Interpreter since Spring 2020. A Summa Cum Laude graduate from Clinton High School in 2021, I secured a full-ride scholarship to Duke. At Duke, I am a Cardea Fellow and QuestBridge scholar, serving as Co-President of the Duke QuestBridge Chapter. I direct Patient Advocacy at the Duke Help Desk in the Emergency Department. During my early college years, I conducted research at the Duke Lemur Center and later undertook primate brain mapping at Boyer Lab in Spring 2023.

Presently, I contribute research to the Bass Connections Team: Spine Surgery Recovery Navigators. I am also preparing for my senior thesis focusing on hormones and primates with a separate lab that I have now worked for three years. Actively engaged in the Durham community, I volunteer to teach Neuroscience to 2nd-5th graders through the Duke Neurocare Community and Education Outreach committee. I also have experience in creating digital content. My current job is being a graphic designer for Duke Student Affairs. I had a writing blog and am the creator of the zine, “Femicidio: The Shadow Pandemic”. I collaborated in writing the zine, “In Solidarity” and was editor and designer for Duke Journal of Health Equity (2022-2023).

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my friends were to visit Durham I would definitely take them to the Farmer’s Market since it is so much fun and such a weekend thing to do. I would also bring them with me to check out Eno River for a nice hike and check out the Duke Lemur Center here in Durham, NC! Of course, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens is also a super nice place

There are so many delicious food places here in Durham, NC that it will be hard to decide, but places such as Chicken Bee, Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, Mother & sons, Luna Empanadas, Press, and so many more will definitely be an option.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
National Geographic’s January 2015 issue, “The First American,” completely changed my life. It talks a lot about history (all the good first-year stuff), but also first introduced me to neuroscience (article: “The First Year of the Baby Brain”).
I came across this issue by accident (I was 12), and I think the mail accidentally dropped off this issue at my house (I did not have a National Geographic subscription).

If it weren’t for the article on the first year of the baby’s brain, I am not sure who I would be today. This is one of the first inspirations I had to one day be a medical professional in the neuroscience field and work with children.
“Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond was my favorite book in high school. My history teacher, Mr. Maskell, was my role model (and still is, I keep in touch with him!), and he introduced me to so much history (I took AP World with him freshman year and AP Euro and AP Human Geography my senior year with him). “Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies” by Jared Diamond is a book that seeks to explain why some societies have advanced more rapidly than others throughout human history. Diamond explores the broad patterns of human development and the factors that have shaped the destinies of different societies.

Fun Fact 🙂 : Mr. Maskell was also the first to intertwine history and neuroscience for me. He told me that a neurologist back in the 20th century noticed that in the famous painting by Michelangelo (a favorite Renaissance man), God’s robe (red fabric) looks like a brain. I almost cried when I saw it in real life when I went to Italy. It is an intersection of the subjects that I am passionate about!

Most importantly of all, I dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They taught me that hard work, family, faith, and love mean everything.

Website: https://www.cristalsclothes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristal._.ortiz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristal-ortiz-5492b1228/