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

STAR Scholars was a transformative experience. I cannot advocate enough for first-year students to join that program. I became an ambassador for Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs (UREP) and Pennoni Honors College because I absolutely stand for everything that those programs offer. The bulk of my resume is made up of opportunities I got from them, every employer loves to talk about it, and it's something that has led to a lot of hands-on opportunities in research labs. Getting involved with UREP from the beginning was one of the best decisions I made during my time at Drexel. With their help, I was able to go to national and international conferences and meet so many other incredible undergrad researchers who I'm still in contact with today.  

Also with UREP's help, I was able to pursue a second mini research project. I applied for and was awarded a mini grant that allowed me to delve deeper into my research on proteins related to Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, my research dealt with the relation of Alzheimer's disease and primary cilia, which are like tiny little micro-organelles on the surface of cells. Pursuing this research helped me so much in forming my future goals past university. When I apply to medical schools, I plan to continue disease-related research by investigating specific protein pathways that determine how the disease functions. I learned from this experience that understanding the exact proteins involved in their pathway brings us one step closer to developing protein-targeted related medicine. 

Another interesting experience was my co-op at CHOP, which allowed me to work closely with patients. I was able to interact with a diverse range of pediatric patients and understand their experience in the hospital. Children are very resilient, especially when they have to undergo surgery and other difficult tasks that even adults find hard to process. This experience led me to consider pediatrics in my future because of how much I enjoyed working with children. 

My Drexel experience wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support I received from my family and friends—especially the hard work of my parents, who continue to inspire me in the pursuit of my own goals! 

What made you decide to pursue a career in medicine?  

What has always enticed me about medicine is surgery, actually starting in high school. We got to observe a cholecystectomy at Lankenau Hospital, and the way the surgeon walked us through the procedure and explained why he did certain things was impactful to me. From that point, I realized I had to go into medicine. It’s a constantly evolving field, which ties into the research aspect. In medicine, you’re constantly learning new things as they are being discovered. It's a lifelong learning experience, and that's what I like about it. The medical field continues to change as I grow with it. 

During my time at Drexel and my co-op at CHOP, I was able to witness even more surgeries across so many fields, such as orthopedics, ENT and plastic surgery. Witnessing these surgeries revitalized my passion. I'm currently in the midst of applying to labs, so I will continue to be involved in disease-related research before I apply to medical schools. 

What do you hope to convey to the class of 2025 in your commencement speech? 

My speech deals with the topic of self-advocacy and how it's so important to prioritize yourself before you can prioritize the needs of others. Once you learn the importance of advocating for yourself, you can then advocate for the things that matter most to you, whether it's your peers, marginalized communities, the environment, animals or something else. My time at Drexel was a period of growth for me personally, as I learned to set boundaries and become more assertive. I definitely didn't know what self-advocacy was when I started college. As the class of 2025 enters our respective fields, it's important that we set boundaries with our employers and know our worth. It's important to advocate for the people that we’re involved with in those fields. For example, in medicine, I saw how important it is to advocate for the needs of patients. By providing support and guidance, we can help patients navigate complex healthcare challenges and make more informed decisions. I want my patients to feel understood and respected, because everyone deserves the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies. Patient advocacy can lead to improved health outcomes and allows us to have control over our own healthcare journeys. No matter what field you go into, advocacy is applicable to all disciplines. 

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

I have two pieces of advice. The first is learning how to effectively study. Initially, I realized that the methods I used to study in high school probably wouldn't get me the results I wanted to see in college. I learned that you need to trial and error different study methods until you find one that suits you. In high school, I got by on memorization only, but college is a completely different ball game. I realized that, rather than spending so much time memorizing so many different details, if I took the time to understand the reason why something happened, my comprehension would come more naturally. My two all-time favorite courses at Drexel were pathophysiology with Dr. Monica Togna and developmental biology with Dr. Manuel Senderos. Through these courses, I learned that if you understood the reason why something happens, it helps you apply what you've learned.  

My second piece of advice is learning to prioritize what you want to get out of college. The advice people often give is to get involved, and I 100% agree with that statement. But I would advise students to make sure that they are still able to balance everything going on in their lives. Early in my undergrad career I took on so many jobs, research and clubs. But this came at a cost, because I didn't get enough time to study for my own academic classes. I had to take a step back from all of the extracurriculars I was involved with to set aside time to focus on studying. This is one of the main things that refined my studying habits and allowed me to fall in love with physiology, which is the most interesting aspect of biology for me. I think you should pursue activities that you can handle while not jeopardizing your top priorities.