Degree: B.S. in Biology, Minors in Chemistry & Physics
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
Thanks to this amazing opportunity, I was able to see firsthand where my passions lie within the medical field. Before beginning my undergraduate degree, I thought that I wanted to be a physician in a developing nation but had no experience in such a location. As a Stamps Scholar, I was able to travel to Ghana for two summers and see for myself what such a career will entail. Now, I know for a fact that I will someday return to a remote hospital to practice medicine, and this may not have happened without the support of the Stamps Scholarship.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
My advice to freshman self would be to ask for help, soon and often. After struggling for about a year with homesickness, uncertainties about my future, and doubts regarding various other aspects of my college life, I began asking people around me for help. What I discovered is that I did not have one problem that professors, staff members, or even other students had not encountered before and were not prepared to help me tackle. College is definitely easier and much more enjoyable when you don’t try to take on all of its difficulties alone.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
My boss as a tutor and teaching assistant within the biology department has made the greatest impact on my life as a college student. His kind nature and genuine concern for all of his employees led to many conversations about the things I struggled with, my options for graduate school, and my dreams for the future. Because of how many students he has interacted with over the years and how willing he was to share with me his helpful advice, I trusted his advice and as a result felt happier and more in control of my life and my future.
Please share your most memorable Stamps Scholar experience.
As a Barry Stamps Scholar, my most memorable experience is the trip I took to Michigan my freshman year for the annual conference. While traveling with the other scholars, I became closer to many of them within my school who did not have the same major as me but ultimately possessed the same goal to serve people with their lives. This was the beginning of many great friendships for me, not just ones based on similar interests or backgrounds, but ones grounded in a deeper desire to change aspects of the world that are problematic and cause people harm. Then, these friendships blossomed and inspired me to continue working towards being a medical physician and kept me going when times at school were tough!
Plans after graduation?
I will be entering the M.D. program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas this fall. CLASS OF 2020!