A huge part of my everyday experience on campus is coming into the lab, where I’m able to get up close and personal with emerging questions in neuroscience. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Day, I have the opportunity to pursue my own project, aiming to understand some of the mechanisms that might underlie how we think. Another part of my education is being able to present this work not only at UAB, but also throughout the country in several conferences. While the UNP’s curriculum is rigorous and challenging, the opportunities available outside the lecture hall make a unique and challenging college experience.
I’m originally from Florida, so a common question I get is, “What brought you to UAB?” Well, during my college search, I wanted an education that would form a solid foundation for whatever career path I chose, which at the time was a debate between medical school and graduate school. Meeting the friendly faculty and staff of UNP persuaded me to matriculate into UAB, and through the UNP’s coordination, I was able to join a newly opened lab during my freshman year and engage in research from the get-go, which ultimately convinced me to apply to graduate programs in neuroscience.While I enjoyed doing research, I experimented with my academics to make sure I had the collegiate experience that matched my interests and goals. I switched from one honors program to a better fit honors program and even took a chance to design my own major—in addition to the neuroscience curriculum. A part of designing your own major entails sitting down with a dean and discussing what classes you’d like to take for your self-designed path. My goal was to integrate English, sociology, and science courses into a streamlined curriculum I would call Scientific Writing. By my junior year, however, my plans changed, and I wanted to graduate a year early instead, so here I am now graduating with a degree in neuroscience and minors in biology and chemistry.
I haven’t been stuck in the corner of a lab my entire time in college because there are so many different ways to be a part of the UAB and Birmingham community. I’ve personally had the opportunity to help hundreds of students with their chemistry classes as a supplemental instructor, to work in a team of writers and editors for Student Media, and even had some involvement in the student government and publications. Because the Honors College is growing and expanding, my time has also been invested in representing the honors programs here. I’ve met scientists and science writers and have taken classes alongside local journalists, educators, healthcare workers, and people who have traveled the world, and many of my friends have such varied and unique experiences at UAB as well.
I hope to matriculate into a neuroscience graduate program in the fall of 2016, where I can begin formal training as a scientist. The easiest way for me to highlight my time as a neuroscience student is to describe UNP as a gem of a program and UAB as a gem of a school. UAB is a uniquely supportive and student-friendly environment, and the direction and support from faculty and administrators of the UNP were imperative for my success in college.
