Spain (Study Abroad)
June 2019
The highlight of my Spanish career this past year was my study abroad program through the University of Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain. I took two courses, Culture and Grammar, from local professors alongside students from all over the world. The friends I made from these classes enriched my experience and added another layer to my cultural engagement. I am grateful to my host family for opening their home to me and for humoring all of my questions, ranging from politics and religion to the best tapas bars in the city. I was also able to travel on my own after my courses ended and spent time in Granada, where I immersed myself in the deep history of the city. Highlights of my time in Granada included seeing the resting place of Spanish monarchs Isabella and Ferdinando, touring La Alhambra, and generally traveling solo for the first time.
Environmental Biology Major
Fall 2019 - Spring 2020
This year saw academic and professional growth as I spent time reflecting on what I want to do after university and took inventory of my academic interests, strengths, and weaknesses. Some experiences that helped me reflect and grow were reading large amounts of primary literature, writing a research proposal, applying and receiving a Research in the Natural Sciences (RENS) grant of $2000 for my A. crepitans research, taking biology and chemistry lab courses, and deepening relationships with my peers and professors.
​
My RENS experience was scheduled for the summer of 2020, but was pushed back to spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. I had initially planned on using this research as both my biology senior research and my Honors capstone project, but because of the research delays I found a different project to use for Honors. This new project was on optimal diet selection in Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel) on Drury's campus.
​
​
Year Three
Junior year was unlike anything I could have anticipated. The fall semester was the most difficult academic semester I had ever had... until the spring semester came. Spring 2020 brought monumental changes to secondary education systems around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the second half of the semester taught remotely. It was a difficult transition academically, socially and personally that lead to growth in my organizational skills, compassion, and patience.
HNRS Latin American Boom & Post Boom Narratives
Fall 2019
This course familiarized me with literature from the Boom and Post Boom movements. I gained an understanding of the importance of these movements in Latin America and globally, and their impact on generations of writers since. I was pushed to expand my limited conversational vocabulary to include more nuanced and poetic language. Class discussions focused on text analysis, translation, and personal commentary. The small class size allowed everyone to contribute and share ideas.
HNRS Herpetology
Spring 2020
In-person instruction for this herpetology lecture-lab was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19. I had planned on using this class to gain field technique and general knowledge to prepare me for my biology senior research on the regionally common frog species Acris crepitans (the Cricket Frog). While the whole class was unable to complete the three camping/herping trips outlined in the syllabus, I was still able to go herping for the first time with some of my classmates before we all went our separate ways for the rest of the semester. The in-class instruction and herping trip were enough to spark my interest in herptiles even after the end of the course.
HNRS Developmental Biology
Spring 2020
Though COVID-19 stopped in-person instruction, I still learned so much. I continued learning factual knowledge from class lectures, but also grew as a scientific writer by writing my first ever annotated bibliography on an original question I had (see link below). This was helpful practice for graduate school and future research. I enjoyed this course because it blended many disciplines together to create a more complete view of development. I was able to apply what I had learned in previous classes to what I was currently learning and begin to fully understand the interconnectedness of these disciplines.
Leadership and Extracurriculars
Fall 2019 - Summer 2020
One of the most difficult decisions I made this past year was decreasing the number of organizations I was involved in. I realized I was spreading myself too thin and not giving my best work to anyone. After much consideration, I focused my time and efforts in the following organizations: Residence Life (RA), HSA (Vice President), and Tri Beta. I also continued volunteering with DNA during the summer. This allowed me to bring my best to each position, focus on my schoolwork, and cultivate personal and professional relationships. I was also elected as HSA President for my senior year!
Appreciation
.jpg)
This was a difficult year. For everyone. I was (and still am) incredibly grateful for the support system I found in my family, friends, and professors. A special thanks goes out to my professors who had the monumental task of transferring half a semester's worth of material from in-person to online in two weeks. Though these transitions were not perfect, they were done with thought, compassion, and patience which demonstrated the pride my professors took in their work and the commitment they had to us as their students. Thank you, truly!
