Degrees: B.S. in Microbiology, B.A. in Spanish
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
My overall Stamps experience has been incredibly influential in my personal and professional development. The guidance of my scholarship adviser allowed me to connect to opportunities that I would not have been able to find on my own, and the financial support of the scholarship provided me the confidence to seek academic opportunities outside of my major. Essentially the Stamps Scholarship provided me with the freedom to shape my college experience around my own interests and goals- without Stamps, I would not have been able to pursue a dual degree or unpaid extracurricular internships and volunteer opportunities. In addition, my Stamps Scholarship enrichment funds supported a 3-month internship with a non-profit in Guatemala, a public health conference in San Diego, and a semester abroad in Ecuador. These experiences were invaluable in developing confidence and leadership skills, forming professional contacts, and building multicultural perspective. I am hoping to apply to medical school in the future, and I think these assets will make me a more competitive applicant and a more compassionate, stronger-minded doctor.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
I would remind myself to take risks. I think that as a freshman I felt that everything I did needed to relate directly to my degree and professional goals, and didn’t recognize the value of pursuing opportunities in different areas. Over the last 4 years, I’ve realized that I’ve been defined more by the various jobs, volunteer assignments and unrelated classes that I took on than by my official science coursework. I want to work in medicine, and a huge part of being a successful doctor depends on your character as a person. The experiences I’ve had at Virginia Tech, especially the ones that took me outside of my comfort zone, have helped me develop the emotional capacity and personal integrity necessary for my future field.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
I have had several incredibly influential mentors over my time at Virginia Tech that have encouraged me to pursue my dreams and helped my recognize new ways to do so. My Stamps Scholarship adviser has connected me to so many different opportunities that I would never have found on my own, teaching me how to take initiative in my college experience and shape it in the way I choose. The leaders of the 3 different international organizations I have interned at all taught me how to connect with a new culture and supported me through the periods of intense personal growth that occurred while I was abroad. Finally, the student leaders in my residential community supported me as I struggled to redefine my identity as an individual throughout my first years apart from my family.
What comes next?
I will be taking a gap year following graduation and working in the New River Valley as a scribe for a family practice doctor while applying to medical school. I hope to also work with a local free clinic to learn more about the challenges associated with health care in a rural area.