Heidi CO '29 Rowan University

1.       What first sparked your interest in biochemistry? Was there a specific moment, class, or person that inspired you?  

I had always loved science, it gave me an explanation to things beyond my understanding and that always fascinated me. I remember really loving the way honors Biology and Chemistry challenged my thinking, so when I took AP Biology and Chemistry, it was the perfect opportunity for me to learn about what I loved while learning how to pace myself in a college level course. I also took many elective sciences like Marine Biology which sparked my love of sea creatures and habitats, I attended the Key Largo trip as well, an exciting trip to Florida with the Marine Biology class. I thought I had to choose between majoring between Biology and Chemistry for a while and I was torn, so when I learned I could major in Biochemistry I was really excited to combine the two.

2.       Why did you specifically choose your college to study this major?  

I chose Biochemistry because it was a combination of the two sciences I loved. I came to realize sooner though that Biochemistry as a major is an extension of Chemistry, just with a concentration in Molecular Biology so it's not a 50/50 split, but I'm still getting to learn about really cool things.

3.      What do you hope to do with your degree in the future? What kind of impact do you want to make?  

I hope to get my PhD in Pharmacology and become a Pharmacologist, those are the lead people in charge of making, researching, and developing vaccines and medicines. I want to be able to help people treat and recover from diseases with the help of technology and people who care.

4.       What advice would you give to someone just starting their college application?

Do your research, outline what you want and don't want in a school early and write a pros and cons list for every school you tour! Apply to the scholarships in the Google Classroom they give you, specifically Hamilton West Students, you can get a lot of money for just applying. You don't need to have it figured out right now, choose a major that you're passionate about that doesn't limit you and try to make the best of your senior year.