Have you always been a good student? What are your average grades now compared to when you were younger?
I have always been the type of student who works very hard. Self-motivation was important to me. My parents never forced me to get good grades. School gets harder as you get older, so my grades when I was younger were better, but that doesn’t mean I’m a worse student. My grades were better in high school, but I’m learning just as well in college.
Have you ever failed?
The first test I failed was in college, a math test. I remember it was a very difficult exam and I got nervous, luckily it didn’t count, but it was a real roller coaster for me anyway.
What have you studied to get to where you are?
Mathematics and different sciences: biology, physics and chemistry.
I’ve studied a lot of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects, rather than humanities subjects. However, I am aware that everything you can learn can help you in life. That is, it is not that he has no interest in other areas.
What are you studying now?
I am actively studying chemistry, engineering and biology. I would like to get a cure for cancer.
How long have you been studying at the university?
I’m about to finish. This is my fourth year.
What extracurricular activities have you done?
I have been doing lacrosse since I was little and I am part of a social organization “Sorority and fraternity in the USA”. I was president. I tutor children in my spare time. I help the first years with orientation every afternoon.
How many years have you been practicing Lacrosse?
I’ve been here since I was 9 years old, about 12-13 years old.
What position do you play in lacrosse?
Stroke. Offensive position.
How did you know you wanted to focus on science?
Halfway through my first semester of college, I went in wanting to major in political science and humanities. But after talking to seniors and at the same time being in a chemistry class, I decided that I wanted to study something related to chemistry.
What do they ask you to enter the university?
They ask that you be a good person academically, but also that you stand out in social activities. They want people who fit in well with the school environment, because of the university experience and everything that comes with it.
Were there times in your life when you thought about giving up?
Yes, there comes a time when you see that you don’t fit in and you feel less intelligent compared to other people in your class or university, and you feel more alone. This has happened to all of us at some time and is called the “Impostor Syndrome”, and it generally deals with the fact that you can feel worse about one thing or another because you believe that the objective cannot be achieved. The good thing is that since we have all suffered from this syndrome, it allows us to help each other.
What are you currently working or studying?
In this last semester I will be in a laboratory focused on chemistry. I will look at how different acids and bases react with each other and with living organisms.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to study medicine to be a doctor. I want to specialize in oncology, dermatology or the study of pathologies. I know they are very different jobs, but they all seem very interesting.
Have you had to sacrifice a lot to get where you are?
Maybe some Friday nights or social activities to study or work extra, but I have always been surrounded by people who encourage me and support my decisions, so I have never thought it was a great sacrifice.
Has the Goar received you with desire and enthusiasm?
It’s a lot of fun to be here and I really want to practice my Spanish. The students are very engaged. They are guiding me, teaching me and helping me understand, all perfectly.
Do you like Spain?
Yeah, I was homesick at first, which is weird, because normally I never feel homesick, but I’ve gotten to know the city a bit, and I did it with friends, which has been fun.
