Throughout my childhood and my “teenhood,” I had the utmost respect for the military and its service members. I had always imagined myself making a career out of the military. I even started the application process for the West Point Military Academy but near the end of high school I experienced the “I-do-not-know-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life” crisis that is fairly common among people my age. I feared that I limited my possibilities from a young age by committing myself to something without exposing myself to other things. Shortly after my crisis, I withdrew from the idea of going to West Point and began looking at regular universities in Florida and Alabama.
![Brian Nykanen](/cas/news/images/Brian-Nykanen.jpg)
Dr. McFarland, one of my greatest mentors, set me on my path to finding answers. He showed me the many things that I could do to be successful and let me dip my toes in the field of research. In my early years of college, I dabbled in bench-work/animal research but it wasn’t until my junior year when I found more enthusiasm for human research in Dr. Kwon’s ophthalmology research lab.
When I committed to UAB, I still felt an attachment and belonging to the military. I tried to find a compromise between the military and a higher education in science. My answer was the UAB ROTC Blazer Battalion. Now I am able to pursue a bachelor in neuroscience and commission as an officer in the Army. Furthermore, I am able to attend a medical school and still be a physician for the Army.
UAB was truly an eye opener for me. There was a plethora of opportunities that I did not know existed. I showed proficiency in military leadership in the Blazer Battalion, which led to my interests in other leadership extracurricular activities such as Orientation Leader and Blazer Hall Executive Council. Additionally, I would have never found my true passion of assisting disabled children. For instance, my honors program, ELSP, showed me about volunteering as a camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association summer program, which was one of the most emotionally poignant memories of my life.
Now, I will be graduating in April 2016 as a neuroscience major and philosophy, chemistry, and military science minor. I will then serve in the Army Medical Service Corps (70B) at Mobile, AL for a year. Afterwards, I hope to attend medical school and continue my military service.