Favorite space on campus:

Armstrong

Why Miami?

I was really interested in Miami and ultimately decided to select Miami because of the pre-medical studies co-major that is offered here. The co-major was something I did not notice any other university I toured had, so right off the bat, I knew this was the right program for me. The undergraduate research offered here as well caught my eye and was something I was hopeful I could get involved in when attending a university. The last thing about Miami that really helped me finalize my decision was how beautiful the campus was and still is.

What advice you would give to your first-year self?

I would tell my first-year self to make sure that I should try and make more time to enjoy the social life of being a college student and not be so serious. You only get four years here and believe me when I tell you it goes by faster than anyone could prepare you for, so enjoy the little moments, make all the memories you can with the people on your floor, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there and meet new people and make new friends.

Tell us something about your major:

One of the best aspects of my Kinesiology major is how applicable it is to the information I will need to know for medical school. The professors in the Kinesiology department are also amazing. You can see the passion that all of the professors have for what they are teaching and how much they care about their students' well-being as well as what they are learning.

Research experience:

I started working on a research project when I was a sophomore with Dr. Paul Reidy. We were studying the effects of physical inactivity on growth and development using mice. I worked alongside other undergraduate students as well as a graduate student on this project. I was able to be very hands-on in this study and will always be grateful to Dr. Reidy for allowing me to participate. I was also lucky enough to work with Dr. Helaine Alessio, where we studied the effects of short-term electric bike use on continuous blood glucose levels in healthy adults. We spent two summers and almost two school years working on this research project. I was in charge of recruiting participants, I completed almost all preliminary testing, and I stayed in contact with the participants throughout their time in the study. During my second summer working on this project I was able to work on the project as a summer scholar. I got to attend the undergraduate research forum hosted by Miami, and I got to travel to Indiana to present our data at the Mid-West American College of Sports Medicine Conference.. I was even lucky enough to have an article written about the work I have done as an undergraduate researcher and our study. I have had the absolute best undergraduate experience, so much so that I will be continuing my passion for research getting my master's at Miami, and continuing to work alongside Dr. Alessio on a new research project.

Student organizations/activities:

• Delta Epsilon Mu -pre-health fraternity. It is a great academic as well as social organization that has provided me with great friends and a group of like-minded individuals who were able to help guide me as an undergraduate pre-medical student.
• Gamma Phi Beta - social sorority. Through Gamma Phi, I have met my lifelong best friends.

Internships/field experience:

I have had to opportunity to shadow an OB/GYN a few times as an undergraduate and had an amazing experience during my shadowing time. I learned so much in such as short time period while shadowing. I would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in going into the medical field to shadow at least one doctor. Shadowing a doctor for me only confirmed my passion to become a doctor, and it served as a motivational factor for me as well.

Who has been your favorite professor and why?

All of the professors in the Kinesiology department are amazing. They all truly care about their students, and you can see how passionate they are about the topic they are teaching. But, if I had to pick, my favorite professor would be Dr. Helaine Alessio. I have worked with Dr. Alessio during undergraduate research, but I also had the opportunity to have her as my senior capstone professor. Dr. Alessio is such a passionate, hard-working, brilliant professor and mentor. I would not be the student I am today if it was not for the guidance of Dr. Alessio, she has taught me so much in such a short amount of time. She is someone who I look up to, and I hope that as I grow up, I am as successful in my career as she has been in her career.