Degrees: B.A. in Biochemistry with a Co-Major in Pre-Medical Studies, Nutrition Minor, Molecular Biology Minor
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship was without a doubt the greatest blessing and highest honor I have ever received. It allowed me to pursue every opportunity that came my way without a second thought about financial or logistical roadblocks. The Stamps Scholarship allowed me to make my university experience exactly my own, and to experience it fully and fiercely as does each incredibly inspiring member of the Stamps community.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
It is irrevocably true that every experience is exactly what you make it, so live it vibrantly and feel empowered to create the circumstances and experiences that will ultimately create you.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
Throughout my college career, my freshmen chemistry professor has had the greatest impact in my university life. I enrolled in his Honors section during my first semester here, and although I tried to hit the ground running, it was the most difficult course I had ever taken. He is notorious for making his course remarkably challenging, designing questions and exams to a quasi-graduate level. His course structure also necessitates an exceptional amount of independent study and practice. Nonetheless, he is constantly available to guide his students through the class, offering copious support and attention. It was this professor and his challenging course that taught me not only general chemistry, but how to “do college”. The caliber of work ethic and conscientiousness he ingrained in me has never led me astray in my collegiate pursuits. Luckily, he has remained my mentor throughout the years, and I now serve as his official class tutor. It will be a bittersweet goodbye, indeed!
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
My favorite Stamps Scholar memory was attending SSNC 2017. I had been to SSNC 2015 two years prior as a Freshman, and was left simply speechless by the high-achieving young people that I met. I heard all about their dreams, plans, and goals that year and came home with a rejuvenated passion for my own, inspired of course by theirs. Returning in 2017 allowed the opportunity to reconnect with those people and see exactly how they made their dreams come true. Each and every one of them had achieved something truly great, and being able to share in their triumph was something I will never forget.
What comes next?
Next, I will pursue my own dreams of becoming an Orthodontist, specializing in the treatment of children with cleft palate and other maxillofacial abnormality by attending Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Bracing myself for all the smiles yet to come–pun intended! 🙂
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”! -Audrey Hepburn