In 20 words or less, what is the best thing about being part of this department?
The variety of topics and material approaches that allow for concentration in certain areas and fields of work.

What is your biggest piece of advice to first years and sophomores about getting connected to this department?
Reach out to professors and upperclassman (even if you don’t know them) and ask about the class and research options out there. Make those connections!

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at K?
You can grow so much when you allow yourself to be authentically you and to change and develop from your experiences.

What has been your favorite class at K?
My favorite class was Neuro Disorders with Dr. Moore. I enjoyed the challenge of taking a class where the goal is to take a vast field or topic of knowledge then summarize it and explain it in both broad terms and very specific instances via academic articles.

How have you taken advantage of the open curriculum or experienced breadth in your education?
K College’s liberal arts school approach allowed me to cut straight to my areas of focus with occasional and optional dips into other subjects. Each exploration to other topics felt greatly fulfilling and did not make me feel pressured to continue in that area but simply to enjoy and learn from my time in that class itself.

What experiential education opportunities have you participated in?
Residents Assistant, Senior Residents Assistant, CCPD Career Advisor, Biology Supplemental Instructor, Research assistant in Dr. Mitchell’s Fly Lab

What is your SIP?
Temperature based testing on fish in the K College fish lab.

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?
I am on the pre-medical track and hope to go to medical school after graduation and a gap year.

What is a random fun fact about you?
I like lifting weights.

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In 20 words or less, what is the best thing about being part of this department?
The faculty is incredibly nice and helpful, and they want to see you succeed in whatever your goal may be.

What is your biggest piece of advice to first years and sophomores about getting connected to this department?
Do not be afraid to reach out to professors, TA’s, or older Biology students for information on opportunities in biology or for general advice. Professors and student employees in the department are both incredibly helpful and can provide you a wealth of knowledge.

What has been your favorite class at K?
My favorite class I have taken at K was BIO 495 – Evolutionary Ecology. This class was largely student led and taught me a lot of helpful skills like reading and critically unpacking research papers, communicating information from papers that no one else in the class had read, and working with others to come up with new research ideas. This course was also one that focused far less on grades and far more on learning new skills that will be helpful for a career in Biology.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at K?
The most valuable thing I have learned at K is to make the most out of the time you have here. There are so many things you can learn here and so many connections you can make, and four years is far shorter than you think. Never pass up an opportunity to try something new.

How have you taken advantage of the open curriculum or experienced breadth in your education?
I have taken advantage of the open curriculum at K by taking classes outside of my department, such as humanities and social science courses, that have helped expand my worldview and how I think of complex societal issues that exist in our day to day lives. It has also given me the chance to work with other really cool students who I otherwise would have never met if I only took biology courses.

What experiential education opportunities have you participated in?
I have been a board member of ECO for a little over a year. I have been a member of the Kalamazoo College Singers for three years. The summer before my junior year, I participated in a summer research experience for undergraduates centered around marine biology and statistical ecology.

What is your SIP?
For my SIP I am working here in Kalamazoo with Dr. Santiago Salinas on thermal tolerance in fish from polluted and unpolluted water.

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?
I plan on attending graduate school after K and ultimately pursuing a PhD in ecology.

What is a random fun fact about you?
In my free time I do amateur nature photography around the city of Kalamazoo.