“For giving me peace of mind, for supporting my future aspirations, for making all the great experiences I’ve had in lab and at the college possible, I am forever thankful. Now it’s on me to show that your investment was worth it.”
How have you been enjoying your major? Are there any professors whose classes have changed or challenged you?
I’m triple majoring in biology, biochemistry, and chemistry and it’s both the best decision I’ve made at the college and an insane amount of work. Despite studying a range of subjects, I definitely lean more towards the biology aspects of my studies, as biology/biochemistry is what I plan to write my thesis on. However having included the chemistry portions to my studies has had a profound and generally positive effect on me. I’ve been forced to take classes that I would have otherwise not even considered taking, like organic chemistry of proteins where I met Steven Kent who proceeded to make me appreciate chemical approaches to studying biological problems. John Anderson’s inorganic chemistry class really tested my resolve to get a biochemistry/chemistry degree because I was so far out of my element. Bob Keenan and Phoebe Rice made me fall in love all over again with the use of biochemistry in studying the function of proteins and biological processes and strengthened my passion for biochemistry. And of course Alex Ruthenburg, for encouraging me to join the lab I now work in, and Ilaria Rebay, for giving me an opportunity to work and grow in her lab. Both of them were professors in the advanced bio sequence and have had invaluable influence on my growth as a researcher as well as being the driving force for my decision to add to my biology major.
What activities are you involved with outside the classroom? Have you had any leadership roles in your extracurriculars?
I’ve been on Stony Island’s house council for three years and I’ve been a house Orientation aide for two years (here’s hoping for a third). As a student who had a rough start to college with a disastrous first quarter and generally unhappy first year, it’s fulfilling to use my experience to help first-years who need help adjusting to the College. I try my hardest to make sure that they don’t make the same mistakes so they can have a better start than I did. I also do extensive research in Ilaria Rebay’s lab as part of the Beckman Scholars Program.
How do you expect to spend your last summer as a UChicago student?
I’m all lined up for another wild summer of extraordinary research. The Beckman Scholars program, which I could apply to because I was a student in Ilaria’s lab, has covered the cost of my summer work this year. My PI has encouraged me to publish a paper before I graduate, a paper I plan to also submit as my senior thesis. As a result, this summer will be heavy on experiments as I try to gather enough data for the publication, so I’ll be fairly busy with fun lab work. Additionally, Beckman will be sponsoring another trip to California to this year to the Annual Beckman Conference. For four days in August I’ll be able to reconnect with other Beckman Scholars, as well as Post Docs and PI who have received separate funding through Beckman. It’s an amazing networking opportunity as well as another excellent opportunity to showcase my own work as I will be giving a poster presentation and, with my PI’s blessing, will be applying to give a talk. Although I work during the course of the school year, the summer is great for unbridled scientific exploration that I thrive on.
If you could speak directly to the person whose gift supported your scholarship, what would you say?
I’m going to be a research scientist and spend most of my adult life working in the field that I’m most passionate about. I’m going to have so much fun tinkering with the mechanisms that make life possible. It’s going to be great and the start of my scientific career comes from that first summer after first year working an internship as a scared and inexperienced undergrad in Rebay’s lab. Although a lot of factors went into me getting that position, the fact that I already had funding from Odyssey for an internship that summer, was a necessary component. I don’t have to worry about how money will factor into my career prospects, not because I’m independently wealthy, but because there are other people out there who wanted to invest in the future of students like me. For giving me peace of mind, for supporting my future aspirations, for making all the great experiences I’ve had in lab and at the college possible, I am forever thankful. Now it’s on me to show that your investment was worth it.
