What are some of your favorite things you were involved with during your time at Drexel?   

My three favorite things were SEA-PHAGES, STAR Scholars and my study abroad trip to Japan. SEA-PHAGES and Star were my first introductions to research, and it was fascinating. During my first year I was a bit socially awkward and very scared to be taking on this giant, big step of coming to college, but the SEA-PHAGES program was a really surefire and low-stakes way to get to know a lot of people in my major. We were exposed to a variety of facets within biology, from bacterial and DNA isolation to bioinformatics. I skipped my summer break for STAR, but it was completely worth it. I made friends, I did really interesting research. I learned how to dissect a Drosophila fly under the microscope, which remains one of the coolest things I know how to do.  

Japan was one of the most fulfilling adventures I've ever had. Four months of adrenaline and friendship, and also a lot of fear. I came to Japan with so many questions, and for the first half of my time there, it just felt like I was only finding more things to question, and I wasn't finding any answers. But as cliche as this will sound, I think I did end up finding myself. I learned through my experience that when you change your entire life, if only temporarily, it allows a certain kind of freedom of expression that is hard to find in a community where you've already established your identity. 

How do you balance your career path in science with your creative pursuits?  

I ultimately chose to pursue biology, but it wasn't such an easy decision for me. My whole life, I've had this constant pull between art and science, and for a very long time, the question of who would win was always in the back of my mind. Science “won,” which I'm putting in quotes because one of them did not actually win over the other. To be so intertwined with two seemingly different worlds is a really interesting perspective that's colored the way that I view everything. I don't think that science and art are so vastly different. I think that they build off one another to allow us to experience the world, and our emotions. I think that biology tells a story, much like history. It lets you into these little secrets of the universe, peels back these layers that you don't even think exist. Art is something I will do forever. It’s how I’m able to actualize my emotions and to understand them, not necessarily in my head, but on paper, or through music, or through writing. It helps me see the world better, and understand myself better as a result. 

What is your advice for students just starting their college journey at Drexel? 

Try not to lose your Dragon Card. I learned this the hard way. When you solicit people on the street to let you into the building when you're late to class, it just makes you look really creepy. And nobody lets you in the building, and you get really stressed, and then you're late to class and you have no excuse. So really, don't lose your ID. It's very important to keep it on you at all times. 

My actual advice isn't necessarily profound, and it's nothing that you haven't heard before, but it's important, I think, and it comes from my experience. No matter how cynical you've learned to become through middle school and high school, everyone is actually pretty nice, and just as afraid, even the people who might hurt you. We're all here together, just trying, learning to be alive, learning what's important to us and what drives us. You can’t let your fear stop you from finding community. It's difficult to face rejection, and very scary, and can feel awful. But it is a necessity toward growth, and therefore, life.