Biochemistry alumnus Joshua “AJ” Asparin spent years planning to become a doctor. Then he found an opportunity to follow his true passions and enter the fragrance and cosmetics industry. Now he’s using his science education to pursue his dream career on an international scale.

A  2024 Fresno State graduate, Asparin is now in a master’s degree program at the Institut supérieur international du parfum, de la cosmétique et de l’aromatique alimentaire (ISIPCA), based in Versailles, France. It’s quite a journey for a guy from Clovis.

Asparin has just completed his first year at the institute, where he studied formulation, the science behind fragrance and skincare, at the ISIPCA campus in Versailles and the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. This fall he will begin his second year at the University of Padua in Italy, where he will study business management and marketing in the cosmetics industry.

Science an asset for a career in the beauty industry

Shifting from medicine to beauty has not lightened Asparin’s coursework. The program is highly intensive, covering the scientific foundations of creating fragrances, skincare and cosmetics programs in a single year.

“It’s amazing how much medical science is related to the cosmetics field,” Asparin said. “I’ve been studying all the hard sciences related to formulation and research and development: thermodynamics, organic chemistry, skincare anatomy and physiology. I’ve learned how to make lipsticks, sunscreens, foundations, eyeshadows, blush, fragrance bouquets, shampoos, conditioners and body washes.”

Asparin found his science education at Fresno State has been a significant asset.

“I aced all of my skincare physiology classes because I was pre-med and I already knew all the biological concepts,” Asparin said.

Asparin emphasized that a science degree opens more opportunities in industry than many students realize.

“Companies like L’Oreal and Louis Vuitton have R&D sections for researching the scientific basis of their products,” Asparin said. “I don’t think a lot of people realize how much science goes into skincare and cosmetics. But the face is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. You need to prove that your product is healthy and innovative.”

Asparin is spending this summer working in an internship with Tadhana Fragrances, based in Manila in the Philippines, where he is learning about using Southeast Asian ingredients and the Asian beauty market. He would like to pursue a career in the marketing and management of fragrance brands and perhaps start his own brand someday.

Drive to excel

Asparin was born in the Philippines, but he and his family moved to Clovis when he was 4. As a student at Clovis East High School, he felt he had an obligation to his family to succeed.

“We’re first-generation immigrants,” Asparin said. “I had this mindset that I’ve been granted this wonderful opportunity to study in the United States, so I need to work super hard and make my parents proud.”

Asparin excelled as a science student at Fresno State, graduating summa cum laude and serving as president of the American Medical Student Association and vice president of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. For four years of college, he had a single-minded dedication to preparing for a medical career.

“I did so much investing in my pre-med career,” Asparin said. “I had thousands of hours volunteering and shadowing both inside and outside the hospital. I published two research papers on MRI technology and neurotransmitters.”

Interests beyond medicine

Even as a pre-medical student, Asparin already had an interest in skincare.

“I wanted to go into dermatology and work in skin,” Asparin said. “Luxury fine fragrances and skincare were already my daily passions. My mom and I would always bond over skincare. I have no idea why, but in the Philippines, we’re very proud of having good skin health. It’s an island nation, so we have lots of beaches.”

Asparin also developed an early interest in other cultures. He studied French in high school and college, and he served as president of Le Cercle Français at Fresno State. Through the Smittcamp Family Honors College, he took advantage of study abroad opportunities that gave him a taste for travel.

“Before Smittcamp, I didn’t know that study abroad was possible, but it was actually very affordable,” Asparin said. “I want to meet as many people as possible from many walks of life, so that I can understand what it’s like to be a human being across different countries, lifestyles and religions.”

Opportunity and a difficult decision

Asparin started having second thoughts about medical school after graduation. He would prefer to start his career earlier rather than spend years in medical school and residency. When he found out about the opportunity to study in France, he saw a way to combine all his interests.

“All of these passions, fragrance, skincare, medicine, speaking French, French culture, international studies — I found a way to link them all together,” Asparin said.

Switching his education and career plans was not an easy decision for Asparin. He had devoted years to studying biochemistry, and he wondered if he was throwing that away.

“I was struggling really bad with sunk-cost fallacy,” Asparin said. “Even in high school, I was preparing to be a doctor. I spent eight years of my life committed toward medical school. It seemed like a waste of effort if I didn’t follow through.”

Fresno State resources help make a choice

As a pre-med student, Asparin had been active in the Center for Access to Science for All (CASA), which houses the Health Careers Opportunity Program and the Health Professions Pathways Program. CASA helps connect students in the College of Science and Mathematics connect with graduate opportunities, and Asparin turned to CASA director Lilia De La Cerda for advice.

“Lilia was very supportive, and she connected to me to alumni who had done different career paths,” Asparin said. “You can gain a lot of knowledge and insight from other people if you listen to their stories. Through CASA, I had a support team that told me that it wouldn’t be a waste to change fields. People underestimate how much alumni want to help.”

Now that he is an alumnus himself, Asparin gives back to Fresno State to pay forward the help he received. In February he spoke at a CASA workshop on study opportunities at ISIPCA.

“I was excited to have AJ speak with our students, because he was such an engaged member of our center,” De La Cerda said. “As a student he was always willing to mentor, participate in outreach and support his peers. Sharing his journey helps students see that a STEM degree can open doors to unexpected careers and inspires them to think more broadly about the many paths available to them.”