“I went to Truman from 2007-2011 on a Pershing Scholarship where I studied Exercise Science. Following Truman, I achieved a Fulbright Scholarship to Spain to teach English. I stayed for two years and became fluent in Spanish through playing on a local basketball team in Madrid. Following Spain, I attended graduate school at the University of Kansas Medical Center on the prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship, where I achieved a Ph.D. in Physiology in the fall of 2018. Recently, I was hired as a Medical Science Liaison for Myriad Genetics, where I can take the skills I have learned from all of my experiences to build relationships with clinicians and communicate science, which I am extremely excited for!
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As I reflect back on all of my experiences, I can say with confidence that the opportunities I had in the Exercise Science Department at Truman State are the reason I have gotten to where I am today. At Truman, I was able to become a T.A. and later a Head T.A. in Human Anatomy, which revealed my passion for deeper scientific questions and motivation to pursue a doctorate. I was also supported and encouraged by the administration in the Exercise Science Department to be the first student to design and instruct a student-led course. The Pershing Scholarship also pushed me to think bigger in terms of my future career aspirations. The relationships that I made with other students and with faculty are friendships and mentorships that continue to impact and enhance my career and my life. I can’t thank this university and the Exercise Science Department enough for the path it set me on!”