College was never part of Rita Dill's original vision.

When Dill '20, first arrived at Bowie State as an undergraduate in 2016, she wasn't following a carefully mapped-out academic plan.

"I was homeschooled, and I took classes at a community college as a teenager. I was also working at a grocery store, and I regularly drove past BSU's campus. I decided to apply after an advisor said, 'Although there's University of Maryland, there's another school you should consider called Bowie State.'"

Dill, who lives in College Park, Md., says she didn't know what an HBCU was when she applied.

"But once I got here, I felt like I found my home."

Today, Dill conducts cutting-edge research in the Department of Natural Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Anne Osano. Her work as a postdoctoral researcher at Bowie State grew directly from her undergraduate years as a biology major. She excelled in Dr. Osano's classes, and the professor invited her to join a research lab, a moment that reshaped Dill's future.

"She told me she saw my potential and encouraged me to do research. At the time, I wasn't thinking beyond earning a bachelor's degree. I know from my peers at other institutions that it's not common for a professor mentor you in that way. But it happens all the time at Bowie State, and I couldn't have predicted where that opportunity would lead."

Under Dr. Osano's mentorship, Dill conducted undergraduate research year-round, completed multiple Summer Research Initiative for Undergraduates (SURI) experiences and secured an internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she worked in an analytical chemistry lab.

The opportunities continued to grow. She served as a teaching assistant, research assistant and lab manager while gaining hands-on experience rarely available to undergraduate students. She also traveled to Kenya twice with Dr. Osano to conduct research and collaborated with industry leaders on scientific projects.

"My experience in the Osano Research Lab was seasoned with leadership opportunities, because she kept giving me more responsibility. At one point, we conducted method development research with the CEO of a Swiss instrumentation company that does pioneering work in high-performance thin-layer chromatography."

By the time she applied to graduate school, Dill had built an impressive research portfolio.

Her practical experiences earned her a fellowship from the National Institute of Standards and Technology that fully funded her doctoral education at the University of Maryland.

"At Bowie, I had a level of confidence that many of my peers at larger schools didn't have. As a Bulldog, I knew people believed in me. Even when I was in graduate school, I could still reach out to my professors for advice and support."

Even as she completed her doctorate, Dill continued working with Bowie State faculty and mentoring students. She helped guide undergraduate researchers, collaborated on projects and even helped develop curriculum for a course-based undergraduate research experience.

After she completed her Ph.D. in chemistry, returning to Bowie felt like a natural next step.

"I was talking casually on the phone with Dr. Osano, and she said if I had interest in working at Bowie State for her, she had funding for a postdoctoral position. Although I had other opportunities, I believe God wanted me to return home to Bowie. These are the people who invested in me and continued to support me throughout my career. Bowie is family. Here is different from anywhere else."

Today, Dill's research interests continue to evolve. Alongside Dr. Osano and other collaborators, she contributes to projects spanning chemistry, agriculture and RNA-centric research. Dill is also the first author on a paper published in a scientific journal about biochemical processes.

As she helps mentor the next generation of scientists, Dill encourages students to take advantage of one of Bowie State's greatest strengths: access to faculty who genuinely care about their success.

"Get to know your professors. Get involved in research early, no matter what your major is. The opportunities and relationships you can build at Bowie are incredible."

Dill also urges students to remain curious and committed to developing their skills, even as new technologies such as AI transform the landscape.

"Use the resources available to you. Bowie has professors that show up for office hours. You have teaching assistants. There are so many staff here who want you to succeed. Take advantage of that support. Those relationships can change your life."

For Dill, they certainly did.