I started UAB confused. I missed my family, I was not very interested in the major I had declared at orientation, and I did not know how to get involved or what I should be doing to prepare for my future. In the first few weeks of school, I made a few friends who were in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program and I knew I had to look further into it. I had always been interested in the brain and how it worked, but I had never seriously considered studying it in college. After meeting with the director of the program, who told me about the fascinating classes, research, and opportunities the major allowed, I knew I had to be a neuroscience major.
I was not disappointed. My classes taught me more about the brain than I thought possible, and it was all incredibly interesting. From molecular mechanisms to psychology, I wanted to know it all. The class sizes were small enough that I was able to develop personal relationships with my professors, and many times classes were less lecture-based and more discussion-based, encouraging higher levels of thinking and questioning. There is a great deal still unknown about the brain, but most of my professors lead advanced, innovative research labs aiming to answer these mysterious questions.The summer after my freshman year, with the help of the UNP, I began working in the neurobiology lab of Dr. Harald Sontheimer under the mentorship of Dr. Stefanie Robel. I had never held a pipet before, let alone been in a real research environment, and I was overwhelmed to say the least. However, Dr. Robel and the other postdocs and graduate students in the lab were very patient and encouraging and taught me what I needed to know. Soon, I was working on my own project researching the effects of repeated mild traumatic brain injuries on the glial cells in the brain.
While I loved my courses dealing directly with the brain and having the opportunity to participate in research, I never felt limited in my studies during my time in the UNP. I had the flexibility in my schedule to earn minors in both chemistry and mathematics. I am also a part of the University Honors Program, which approaches education in an interdisciplinary manner.
Outside of the classroom, I tried to take advantage of as many opportunities as I could. I was fortunate to be able to serve as a Goin’ Green Orientation Leader, develop service and leadership skills through my involvement in Greek life, and organize community service projects with my honors program. I am also currently serving as the Executive Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government Association.
Without the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, my experience at UAB would have been completely different. I have been challenged in my courses to combine both scientific and creative thinking. I have been given opportunities to perform research with some of the best minds in science. Most of all, I have been mentored one on one by so many different peers, faculty members, and advisors, all of whom wanted to help me succeed. This is an experience I see mirrored in every student in the UNP.
I will be starting medical school at UAB in the fall, and I know my time in the UNP has more than prepared me for the challenges ahead. I cannot imagine a better environment to spend my college years.
