Student: Arnajhia Fant

• Alondra Martinez

• Arts and Sciences
• News
• Pirate Profile
• Research
• Students

Arnajhia Fant spent years serving in the U.S. Air Force before she ever set foot in a chemistry lab. Now a junior at East Carolina University, she is applying the same discipline to a very different kind of mission.

Fant, a chemistry major from Charlotte, spent years dealing with unexplained pain during her menstrual cycle. Frustrated and searching for answers, she turned to research.

"I began to search for holistic ways to help manage my symptoms," Fant said. "I researched the ingredients in pain relief, skincare and wellness products. That curiosity grew into learning how different compounds interact with the body and various skin types."

That search became a career path. Fant now hopes to become a cosmetic chemist, working in quality control and product formulation.

"I hope my experiences and knowledge helps advocate better research, greater transparency and inclusivity in scientific development, particularly in areas of health that have been historically underrepresented," she said.

Fant is also a former ECU employee, having worked as an administrative assistant in the Department of Biology before moving to the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences grants team. She said her time in the Air Force shaped how she moved through both roles.

"The Air Force instilled strong time management skills that allowed me to balance rigorous coursework with my personal and professional responsibilities," Fant said. "It also taught me the importance of adaptability and innovation, which are qualities I applied in my role as a staff member at ECU."

That adaptability showed up on the job. When faculty members ran into repeated technical issues submitting grant related requests, Fant built a new digital workflow using an alternative platform, a fix that reached a 100% success rate and was later adopted by multiple departments.

Fant said one lesson from her service still guides her daily.

"The principle of 'Never leave an airman behind' continues to guide how I interact with others," she said. "Whether I am supporting a coworker or helping someone in my community, I strive to make people feel supported and heard."

Balancing a full-time job with a full course load has given Fant a perspective few students share.

"As a staff member, you see the work that goes on behind the scenes to support faculty and students and help ensure their success," she said. "As a student, you simply see that there are people who genuinely want you to succeed and are working to help you reach your goals."

Much of that support has come from Dr. Anne Spuches, who taught Fant's General Chemistry I class during her first semester at ECU.

"She helped break down chemistry in a way that made it understandable and fun," Fant said. "She recognized my passion for the subject and encouraged me to continue exploring it, helping me bring out and strengthen my passion for chemistry."

Fant's favorite spot on campus reflects that same pull toward science. She points to the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building as the place she feels most at home.

Outside the classroom, Fant spends her time gardening, dancing, cooking and swimming, hobbies that ground her the same way a phrase she lives by does.

"Things are not as personal as they seem," Fant said. "When someone says or does something that hurts my feelings, I try to remind myself that it isn't always about me. That person may be having a difficult day, and whatever they're going through may have nothing to do with me."

It is a mindset she leans on often, in the lab, on the job and everywhere in between.

"I don't immediately take it personally," she said. "Instead, I choose to respond with kindness and remember that this is only one moment in my story, not the whole story."