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Hannah Rogers is a 2018 Chemistry graduate with a concentration in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology. She was a member of the Aspiring Health Professionals student club at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. In 2016, she volunteered at a camp for kids with muscular dystrophy.

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, AND WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?

A: I came from a small high school, and I liked the idea of going to a relatively small college. I was definitely attracted to the small class sizes because it makes everything more personal. I really enjoyed my first year. I had some of the nicest professors who are very willing to help their students. So long as you put in the hard work, they will help you succeed. Making connections and meeting a ton of new people was the highlight of my first year. Being able to talk to an adviser about my career goals was a plus. They don’t question you or think you’re crazy. They genuinely want to help you get there.

Q: WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU ENGAGED IN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM AT ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ?

A: ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ has a lot of opportunities to get involved with different clubs and groups. I joined the Cross Country team, though I wasn’t able to run for part of the season because I was recovering from an injury. But it was still great getting to meet everyone. The team has a lot of different age groups. I also joined the Aspiring Health Professionals (AHP) student club, which was great. We brought different speakers to campus, which gave us an opportunity to hear about the different career options available in the field. We also worked on raising money to get everyone in the club first-aid and CPR certified.

Q: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION?

A: The AHP club hosted a speaker from the Muscular Dystrophy Association who talked about a camp they put on each year for a week in Maine. It’s free of charge for the kids and their families, and each camper is paired with a counselor. I applied to be a counselor and was accepted following a long application process. It was a great experience learning how to take care of kids with muscular dystrophy and helping them to do the things they aren’t normally able to do, like swim and play soccer. I’d never been to Maine, so it was an amazing opportunity to go up there and work with the kids.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

A: I originally declared as a Nutrition major at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, but I suffered an injury and worked very closely with an orthopedic surgeon to rehab and recover. During that time, I fell in love with everything he was doing, and I realized that I really want to go to medical school. So I changed my major to Chemistry, with a concentration in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology. That allowed me to take all the prerequisite courses I need for medical school, while also enabling me to take some really interesting courses like genetics. No matter what I’m doing, I really like the idea of helping people reach their goals. I suffered through a serious sports injury and was helped in my recovery, and that is what I want to do for other people.