Biology Major
What made you choose Heidelberg, and when did it start to feel like home?
I chose Heidelberg for the small campus and familiarity. It started to feel like home the more I got involved and talked to people. The relationships at Heidelberg make it home.
What moment at Heidelberg made you feel most proud to be a Student Prince?
In my junior year, a group of classmates and I had a meeting with Dr. Huntington about the importance of the animal lab to our education and the university. He sat down with us and listened to everything we had to say, and thanked us all at the end. This made me proud because it was proof that the students are at the forefront of the administration's mind. The personal aspect of Heidelberg never fails to make me proud to be a Student Prince.
What’s a class, club, or activity you joined on a whim and ended up loving?
I decided to join the speech team in my senior year at the encouragement of Dr. Faber and Coach Higgins, with no speech background at all. By the end of the season, I was just hoping for one more trip in the van to a speech competition. I wish I had signed up sooner.
What’s your best “only at Heidelberg” story?
When we were on our way to the Ohio Forensics Association State Championship for speech, we had to put painter's tape from a dollar general along the edge of the windshield of the van to stop a loud, almost screaming noise from the wind.
What relationship or friendship here has meant the most to you and why?
My relationship with Coach Higgins has meant the most to me. I have never had a coach or teacher make as big an impact on so many aspects of my life. I have only known him for about a year, but my confidence, motivation, faith, public speaking skills, and other interpersonal skills have skyrocketed during that time. Having someone so supportive behind you is irreplaceable, and he is what Heidelberg is all about.
What opportunity outside the classroom shaped you the most?
My time on the speech team shaped me the most. I developed so much as a person and a public speaker in just a year, thanks to Coach Higgins. I am forever grateful for that opportunity.
What is a lesson from college that you will carry with you forever?
The greatest accomplishments come from the greatest challenges.
What memory still makes you smile, no matter what?
I still, to this day, laugh when I think about the water hose for our O Chem lab flying off its flask and spraying Logan and drenching our lab bench. The cleanup wasn't very fun, but the moment looking back was hilarious.
What experience at Heidelberg best prepared you for your next step?
The opportunities for research exposure in the animal lab, body donor lab, microbiology lab, with our capstone project, and with Dr. Mano in genetics.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen about how to be successful at Heidelberg?
Find things you aren't good at and try them. Some of my greatest memories and personal growth came from overcoming obstacles I never thought possible.
What are your plans following graduation?
I am matriculating into medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall in their Primary Care Scholars Pathway.
Finally, what’s one thing you hope never changes about Heidelberg?
The closeness of people on campus. It is very normal at Heidelberg to have a meaningful relationship with so many people and have professors who deeply care about you in and out of the classroom.