The ENR Scholar alumnus that I choose to interview was Alyssa Whitof, who graduated from tOSU with an animal science degree and is currently managing a lab that does research on protein stability. Alyssa was involved in many student organizations and participated in two studies abroad.
Alyssa offered a multitude of great advice for a person in my position aspiring to be what she is now. First off, she said not to overwhelm yourself. Do what you love and what you think will get you farther in life, but not to the point where you are too bogged down to have fun. As if we were the same person, she quoted one of my favorite quotes from the show Parks and Recreation by Nick Offerman that goes as follows, “Don’t half-ass two things, whole ass one thing”. For professional advice, she said to do research on the company before interviewing and that if I want to get involved with lab research I should get out there as soon as possible
I plan on applying Alyssa’s advice by focusing solely on the things I love to do that are not too much to handle all at once, Right now, I am involved in the Triathlon team and the Pre-Veterinary association, all things that help me to do what I love. I also plan on getting involved with a lab next semester, which will help me see if it is something I really want to pursue in the future.
Overall, my correspondence with Ms. Whitof was very enjoyable and I learned a lot from it.