The Westfall Scholars for the spring 2022 semester have an impressive list of accomplishments and aspirations. The Westfall Scholars Luncheon celebrates the students with the highest GPAs in each program in the w88 live casino. The Westfall Scholars award, formerly the Dean's Senior Scholars award, was created by David Westfall, the founding dean of the w88 live casino. The luncheon was held on April 5, with the awardees, their friends and family, the acting and associate deans of the w88 live casino of Science and David and Shirley Westfall in attendance.
Students each chose a mentor who helped them during their undergraduate experience. Those mentors were Jeff Baguley, Jessie Clark, Deanna Colton, Genevieve Debernardis, Edward Ester, William Hammond, Eniko Kocsis, Jesse Krause, Elena Pravosudova, Pavel Solin, Krisztina Voronova and Thomas White.
The awardees each gave a short speech, thanking the Westfalls and the people around them for their support in their academic journeys. The students noted the importance of their support systems in their incredibly successes. Each of the students shared w88 live casino their next steps are and advice for future students below.
Pouyan Mofidi Nasab, Biology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
I am honored and privileged to say I will be starting w88 live casino medical school journey in fall of 2022. I am super excited to start this next chapter of w88 live casino life, as I know it will be a long one. I have been looking forward to it since the day I moved to this country, and now have realized this is only the start to hopefully bigger and better things.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
First of all, I can’t believe four years of undergraduate have gone by that quick, to the point it’s w88 live casino turn to give advice. The most important advice I could give, and one that I received myself four years ago: ENJOY ALL OF IT! Unlike high school, college is a different world. It’s not just a change in academia, but also it’s a time of growth and development. This is a time where many learn to live independently, be adults, and seek out new adventures. w88 live casino biggest advice would be to enjoy it all, try new things, take new classes, meet new people, and don’t stress over the little things. Life is much bigger than we realize, and it’s best to enjoy it as much as we can!
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I hope to have completed w88 live casino residency in a specialty that I enjoy and feel connected with. I hope to also be having w88 live casino own medical practice here in Nevada, contributing and giving back to the people and communities that I grew up in and have helped shape me into the man I am today.
Elena Sretenovic, Biology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation, I plan to take a couple years off of school to travel and see the world. w88 live casino first stop will be a music festival in Stockholm, Sweden this summer! Then, I eventually want to return to a college campus for graduateschool. w88 live casino ultimate goal is to be a university professor, so I can impact students' lives like so many of w88 live casino incredible professors and mentors did for me.
What is the most important pieceof advice w88 live casino'd give to an incoming college freshman?
My biggest piece of advice for incoming freshmen is to establish good habits early on. Find a good study group, set goals for yourself, decide what kind of student w88 live casino want to be. It's also important to be engaged. Go to every lecture, introduce yourselves to your professors, take good notes, try to soak everything in because it is a massive privilege to be able to attend a university! My freshman year, I struggled with the transition from high school where everything seemed easier. College is a whole different world and it's important to realize that as soon as possible!
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteenyears?
In fifteen years, I see myself hopefully working or researching on a college campus somewhere, graduated with a master’s or Ph.D. (or both). It's one of w88 live casino biggest goals to be a lifelong learner so I hope in fifteen years I'm still learning and maybe even teaching along the way. I see myself happy, fulfilled, and utilizing the skills and life lessons I acquired during w88 live casino time at the University of Nevada.
"What w88 live casino get out of your time at a universityis a function of how much w88 live casino put into it - so go all in."
Anthony Viola, Biology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
I plan to pursue a career in the medical field, though w88 live casino exact path has yet to be determined. I have always felt passionately about helping others and improving quality of life, so I want to take some time and find a position that can allow me to do those things in an impactful way.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
I would tell incoming freshmen to get outside of their comfort zone. College is a time for new experiences and finding out all about yourself. Meet everyone w88 live casino can and do new things, even if w88 live casino think w88 live casino might not enjoy it. Spend time thinking critically and never be afraid to ask questions. What w88 live casino get out of your time at a universityis a function of how much w88 live casino put into it - so go all in.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I hope to find myself practicing medicine in w88 live casino own clinic with amazing patients that fuel w88 live casino love for what I do. I hope to have a family, a dog or two, and live somewhere that allows me to spend w88 live casino time off in the mountains.
Kyle Griffin, Chemistry
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
w88 live casino plan after graduation is to go into the industry and get more hands-on experience within the field of chemistry. I want to use what I learned at UNR and find ways to apply and build on w88 live casino knowledge of chemistry.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
The advice that I would give to incoming w88 live casino freshmen would be to get involved around campus. Interacting with peers, making friendships, and having a willingness tolearn from professors will contribute to an enjoyableand memorable w88 live casino experience.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I hope that in fifteen years I will have continuedto expand on w88 live casino passion and knowledge for chemistry, either through a graduate program or through the industry.
Andrea Gonzalez, Geography
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation I hope to continue w88 live casino employment through the City of Reno and work within the planning and development department. I am excited to combine w88 live casino knowledge of human geography and translate those efforts towards improving the quality of life in our community.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
My advice for freshmen is that it is completely okay to change your major as long as w88 live casino follow your passions alongside them. It is easierand more exciting to get through college with a subject w88 live casino enjoy rather than one w88 live casino don't. As a first-generation student, this was a hard decision to overcome but in the end, it really worked out. My last piece is that if w88 live casino want to make connections and have a range of opportunities, go speak with professors and outreach coordinators. Chances are, w88 live casino both have lots of interestsand will get along just fine.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
In fifteen years, I hope to have traveled to at least five other countries and possibly have been employed, done research, or completed w88 live casino master's. Although being employed is the bare minimum I hope to attain, w88 live casino experience and fulfillments will come along so long as I have the opportunity to follow w88 live casino passions.
Robert Nate Crummett, Geological Sciences and Engineering
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
I plan to find work in geophysics, geodetics or an earth science field directly after graduation, and work on w88 live casino graduate school applications in w88 live casino spare time.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And not in yourself. Trust Him in everything w88 live casino do, and it’s going to work out in the end. Also, download your professors’ online notes and PowerPoints for future reference.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I plan to use spaced-based geophysical techniques to measure solid earth deformation in response to natural hazards like volcanoes, or climate change. I would like to connect the large-scale phenomena I study to dynamic surface processes like river evolution, local weather patterns, and earthquakes.
Morgan Cartledge, Mathematics and Statistics
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation, I plan to work full time for Nevada WealthManagement - a private wealth management team backed by UBS Financial Services. I have always been interested in the financial industry, and I am excited to gain experience and connections. I have been working part time here for about six months now, and I am looking forward to contributing as much as I can to the team.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
w88 live casino most important piece of advice for incoming freshman is to get involved in the University and find interests and groups to explore outside of academics. As a freshman, I was not very involved. Then, due to COVID, w88 live casino next two years were the same by default. The one thing I regret in w88 live casino college career is not participating in clubs and activities that brought me joy.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I can’t imagine what w88 live casino life will be like in 15 years. I feel as though I have endless opportunities ahead of me, but it is challenging to decide on a path. I am hoping to take some time after graduation to explore different hobbies and passions, from which I can decide how I want to spend the rest of w88 live casino life.
Jessica Camelon, Microbiology and Immunology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation, I plan to apply to medical school to become a physician. w88 live casino goal is to become a psychiatrist practicing in Northern Nevada to give back to the community.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
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Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
I hope to have finished medical school and be practicing medicine in Northern Nevada. I hope I am working to bring more awareness to mental health and to create an environment that makes all people feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
Luis Becerra, Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduating, I will be working for Nevada Gold Mines as an Open Pit Engineer at their Gold Quarry mine site.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
The most important piece of advice I could give an incomingfreshmen is to get involved in any extracurricular activity. It is a great way to meet people with similar interests as w88 live casino. It helped me out tremendously during my college experience becauseupperclassmen would advise me what classes to avoid taking during thesame semester due to heavy workloads. I also enjoyed participating in the intramural leagues and found it to be a good stress reliever as it allowed me to take my mind off school and enjoy myself. I think it's important to take care of your mental health and do the things that bring joy to w88 live casino.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in 15 years?
I am not sure where I see myself in 15 years, but I sure do hope that whatever I am doing makes me happy. I hope I will have a jobthat brings a balanced life allowing me time to do w88 live casino hobbies. I hope to have been able to become someone's mentor and give them the same advice that I am being given. One thing I do know for sure is I will still have an amazing family and group of friends that will continue to support me.
Justin Malogan, Neuroscience
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation, I plan to take a gap year and focus on researching,substituteteaching, and traveling. I also plan on applying for graduate school for a master's degree and eventuallya Ph.D. in Neuroscience.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Take time for yourself. College can be a rough time and it's important to find a balance between school and your personal life. Set aside time to do activities that w88 live casino enjoy! Start a new art project, go laser-tagging with your friends, have a movie night, etc.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
In 15 years, I see myself as a professor with at least a couple of research publications under w88 live casino belt. I also hope to have a large array of animations made to help future students through their tough biology classes and to make academicresources more accessible to a wider demographic of people.
Kennedy Sparling, Neuroscience
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduating, I will be continuing w88 live casino education at the University of Arizona, Phoenix-College of Medicine.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
To incoming freshman, follow your passions and don't compare yourself to others. I remember when I first started at the University, I already knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. I remember initially being consumed with the idea that I needed to get involved, do well in w88 live casino classes, and ultimately "check the boxes" so I could be successful at getting into medical school. This led me to waste so much of w88 live casino freshman year doing things I didn't actually care about. I was constantly comparing myself to others and forcing myself to do certain things because other people achieved w88 live casino goals by doing similar things. After being miserable and almost changing w88 live casino career aspirations, I decided to do only what I genuinely cared about and stopped comparing myself to others. As a result, I got so much more out of w88 live casino courses, experiences, and relationships and was able to use college as a time to figure out who I am and what I want.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, I hope to return back to Nevada to practice medicine for w88 live casino community!
Jacob Molina, Physics
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
Next fall I will begin working on w88 live casino Ph.D. in Plasma Physics at Princeton University.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
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Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
This is a really difficult question to answer. In making the choices that I have made throughout w88 live casino life I have done w88 live casino best to approach life empirically, and to avoid marrying myself to anya priori dispositions I may have. If I were forced to guess, I would say that I see myself enjoying whatever it is that I am doing. I love physics, and can easily see myself stayingin physics and working at a national lab. However, if at the end of, or even during, w88 live casino Ph.D. I find that physicsno longerteaches me anything and that w88 live casino time would be better spent elsewhere, I am completely open to leaving science and devoting myself to writing, music, or anything I have true passion for.
Gretchen Wulfekuhle, Psychology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After graduation I am joining Dr. Caterina Gratton’s lab at Florida State University where I will be contributing to research on functional connectivity.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
For incoming freshmen my biggest piece of advice would be to be confident in yourself and your abilities. UNR is special because your college experience can be whatever w88 live casino want it to be. I think it’s important to join clubs, do research, try to volunteer to explore your interests and get the most from UNR beyond class.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
In fifteen years, I hope to be a professor with w88 live casino own research lab and happy with the life that I have lived so far.
Bailey Coleman, Psychology
w88 live casino are your plans after graduating?
After I graduate I will be attending the couple and family therapy Master’s program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Becoming a couple and family therapist has been w88 live casino goal since before I began w88 live casino undergraduate education. I am glad to be reaching towards this goal already.
What is the most important piece of advice w88 live casino’d give to an incoming college freshman?
I would passionately recommend talking to faculty and taking advantage of office hours. Speaking with faculty allowed me to pursue undergraduate research, ask questions to get better grades on assignments, and ultimately receive recommendation letters.
Where do w88 live casino see yourself in fifteen years?
In fifteen years I hope to be a practicing marriage and family therapist. I want to have received w88 live casino license to practice and be working toward further certifications, such as becoming Gottman-certified.
