PROFILES

Tell us about yourself and your decision to come to the University of Chicago.

I went to a public high school. I was one of only a few students in my high school who tried to get into a selective college. I knew I wanted to study biology at an advanced level and applied to a number of Eastern schools, Chicago, Tulane, and several others in the Midwest. Growing up in a small town, I knew I wanted to go to college in a more urban environment, one where there was a greater diversity of people and opinions. I was thrilled to be accepted, and my mother brags openly to friends and neighbors, despite my embarrassment.

What has your experience of Chicago been thus far?

I knew Chicago would be very challenging, but I didn’t expect how hard I would have to work or what the special challenges of doing science here would be. I often feel maxed out with my science. The number of hours spent in class, in a lab, or doing homework is kind of amazing when I think about it. There is also some status anxiety involved. You never know how you stack up against your peers and fluctuate between feeling you’re doing worse than them or just as well. Luckily, I have made great friends in my house and get to do things with them to distract myself.

Do you qualify for an Odyssey Scholarship? What do you think the impact will be on you now and in the years ahead?

I was raised by a single mom who works as a preschool teacher and substitute teacher. Her work is very rewarding on a personal level but not very well paid. When she got the news about the Odyssey gift, she was ecstatic and called me right away. Odyssey will help us make our tuition bills. The loans we take out are expensive and hard to come by. In the longer term, Odyssey really decreases some of the anxiety all these loans are creating about the future. I can now think more about getting a better foundation in biology after graduation rather than just taking a job to make some fast cash.

What do you think Odyssey’s impact on the College will be?

A number of peers at my high school could have applied to Chicago or colleges like it but felt they couldn’t afford it or didn’t have the information about financial aid they needed to make an informed decision. Most of these classmates went to the local community college, which is a good one, but a poor match for them. Odyssey could help students like these make better choices for themselves.

Second, I think the College benefits from having the diversity of opinion that comes from students from different income groups. I see this when we talk about economic issues or politics. I once had heated discussion with a student who believed that sweatshops were, on the whole, a good thing. Differences contribute to Chicago’s “academic experiment,” the constant mixing of ideas that increases knowledge and the scope of the mind. In scientific terms, the College needs to maintain a dynamic system that keeps minds open.