Degree: B.S. in Physics and Spanish
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship gave me the freedom to be creative with my time at Virginia Tech. Using my enrichment funds I studied abroad twice which allowed me to double major in Spanish. Through Honors I was introduced to undergraduate research, which helped me find the work I’m doing now and inspired me to continue research in graduate school. I also benefited from the Stamp Scholars conventions and the Purdue Igniting Curiosity conference, and travelled to a conference in my field using my enrichment funds to present my own research. My Stamps cohort became my closest friends, and I am so happy to see what they have accomplished while at Virginia Tech.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
Don’t be afraid to take classes outside of your major, there are so many exciting areas to explore and you might find something that you really love. Definitely talk to students older than you and professors, they have a lot of advice to share.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
My Stamps advisor, Christina McIntyre, has been the greatest and most positive influence on my college career. She helped so much with my transition to college, and introduced me to people in my department which helped me get my first undergraduate research position. She encourages Honors students make their college experiences their own. I appreciated the motivation to think critically about what I wanted from my undergrad and her advice for how to make it happen.
What comes next?
I graduated in Fall 2018, and am currently working as an intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. I will start my PhD at the Colorado School of Mines in materials science engineering this fall, where I will be doing research at Mines and NREL to develop better materials for photovoltaics.