Husky 100 Portfolio
Honors Peer Advising and Lead Peer Educating
This fall I was fortunate enough to begin peer advising for UW's Honors Program along with serving as a lead peer educator for HONORS 100. As a Peer Educator, I played a pivotal role in shaping the academic journey of incoming undergraduates. Every other week I delivered a 1 hour and 20 minute lecture with guided activities on different topics geared at introducing students to UW and the Honors Program. Our subjects varied widely from academic and emotional support at UW to basics of creating a portfolio for the Honors program. Through a spring and fall seminar I worked with my other peer educators and my instructor, Nadra Fredj, to create a detailed and engaging agenda for each lesson. Our mode of delivery (slides, activities, field trips, etc) was largely determined by us which allowed us to individualize our lessons to fit our teaching style. I tend to prefer teaching with slides followed by interactive activities, but by collaborating with my fellow peer educators helped I incorporated ideas that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Through these seminars, I not only honed my own pedagogical skills but also served as a mentor and advisor to a select group of incoming peer educators. Attached here is a picture from one of our PE outings. Before this, I had never tried boba but the members of my group and I found a fun self-serve boba spot where I discovered that I like boba! The incoming peer educators in my group (Go red group!) were each unique and brilliant educators. Some were more performative and others were more methodical and soft-spoken but all had wonderful outcomes during HONORS 100.
Building upon my foundation as a peer educator, I assumed the role of Interdisciplinary Honors Peer Advisor, further solidifying my commitment to student mentorship and academic guidance. In this capacity, I provided invaluable support to undergraduate students within the Honors Program, offering personalized mentorship through in-person and virtual advising appointments. Whether assisting with class scheduling, major selection, or navigating program opportunities, I ensured each student received tailored guidance to thrive academically and personally. Advisors have played a critical role in my success at UW and I hope that I have been able to act as a support system for students in a similar way. I am eager to graduate and begin the next chapter of my life, but it will be difficult leaving the role and people within the Honors program that I have come to cherish as my time as a Peer Advisor.
Society for Neuroscience 2023
At the Society for Neuroscience Academic Conference, I had the privilege of showcasing my research on "Investigating the Neurological Basis of Persistent Reward-Seeking." This opportunity allowed me to delve into the intricate mechanisms underlying human behavior and cognition while presenting my findings to esteemed professionals in the field. I am immensely proud that I independently conceptualized and designed almost every figure found on my poster. I meticulously crafted figures (zooming down into the pixels to achieve perfection) and analyzed pertinent data to encapsulate the essence of my research. I have a newfound appreciation for graphic design and want to continue honing this pertinent skill as I prepare for graduate school. My presentation time was on the last day of the conference, which was slightly stressful as my flight was only 3 hours following the end of my presentation slot. However, a good amount of attendees stopped by my poster and allowed me to present for them. The discussions we had were fruitful and I was immensely flattered that many people assumed I was already a graduate student. My engagement extended beyond the presentation hall as I actively participated in professional development and informational workshops. Proactively seeking to broaden my expertise in neuroscience, I seized every opportunity to deepen my understanding of emerging trends and methodologies, especially from neuropharmacological seminars related to my lab's work. In fact, one presentation on biosensors featured some data from our lab! By the end, I felt steamrolled and completely spent, but I had a wonderful experience. I scoped out free merch, maximized networking opportunities, presented my research to esteemed academics, visited the capitol, the Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress. I can't wait until my next conference as a postbac or grad student. Conferences are truly like Disneyland for nerds and no one can change my mind.
CHEM 452: Physical Chemistry for Biochemists
This quarter I began the first course of the physical chemistry series for biochemists. Haunted by the horror stories of former physical chemistry students, I came into the class convinced that this class would be an incomprehensible GPA killer. However, as I began to study and listen to the lectures I found myself enjoying the content. This is in no small part thanks to my professor, Dr. Gary Drobny, who is an exceptionally skilled educator for all things physical chemistry. Knowing we were largely composed of biochemists, he masterfully applied seemingly abstract concepts to real-life biochemical systems. Without these applications I have no doubt that the course would have been much duller and confusing. With a little studying and a tight-knit study group I was able to excel in the class. My artifact shown here is one of triumph. I relentlessly studied with my friend from Scan Design Innovations in Pain, Claire Lee, for this quiz and attained a perfect score. I am quite proud that I was able to get out of my head and make an effort to immerse myself in the course content rather than throwing in the towel before it had even begun like I had originally intended to. By no means has this class completely changed my career goals like biochemistry did, but I do have a newfound appreciation for physical chemistry and calculus. Now I can tell all the people who were preparing me for the worst that it wasn't so bad after all.
