Highlights​​​​

• I 4.0'd all of my classes. This was one of my highlights last year so I'm proud that I was able to accomplish it again, especially since I was taking NEUSCI 401 this quarter!

• I maximized my productivity. Using Notion again for school was what set me up for success this quarter. Whether it was keeping track of due dates or maintaining a master list of assignments, I found myself spending more time getting things done and less time trying to figure out what I needed to do. I also loved being able to experiment with the app—some of the other pages that I designed allowed me to complete daily check-ins with myself, organize meeting notes, and track how many hours I spent on certain clubs.

• I created a lot of good memories through the Honors community. Although I continued to run the Honors Peer Mentoring Program, I got to be involved in some amazing projects through the Honors Community Ambassadors. My peers and I updated the Honors timeline to celebrate the program's 60th anniversary, and I worked with Carey to plan a party where we would reveal the timeline and bring the student community together. Both of these projects were huge successes, as the timeline ended up being 15 feet of Honors milestones and over 100 students attended the Honors Student Reunion. Carey even offered me the Honors Communications and PR Internship for next year, which I was thrilled to accept! I also enjoyed opportunities to attend other events like a lunch party with philanthropist and venture capitalist Neal Dempsey, Vicky's retirement party, and the Honors graduation. I'm so thankful for the connections I've made with Honors students and staff and can't wait to continue growing our community through my internship and the Peer Mentoring Program!

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Challenges

• My motivation was low at some points throughout the quarter. This often happened after a NEUSCI 401 exam because I had just memorized a ton of material but needed to start learning a ton of new material for the next exam, which was mentally exhausting. I realized that I can't be motivated all the time and recognized how important it was to take breaks and center my focus when I was ready.

• I had to prepare for important presentations in a short amount of time. I had two 10-minute presentations this quarter, one for the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the other for the Neuroscience Undergraduate Reading Program, a club I joined this quarter to read scientific papers every week. I'm usually the type of presenter who needs at least a few weeks to prepare but given my busy schedule before these presentations, I really only had a week to make the slides and figure out what to say. Although this challenge stressed me out quite a bit, it ultimately turned into a valuable skill, as I learned how to create slides and memorize scripts more efficiently. 

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Goals​

• Prioritize my health. Some variation of working out and eating healthy has been on my goal list for this past year but somehow, it always ended up on the back burner. My goals have also expanded to include going to bed earlier, stretching more often, and eating more plant-based foods. Of course, I won't be able to accomplish all of these things but by taking small steps and keeping track of my habits, I hope I can practice making my health a priority.

• Dive into clinical research through the Scan Design Innovations in Pain Research Summer Program. This summer will be my first time not taking classes and participating in a full-time intensive research experience. I'm excited to gain exposure to clinical research and learn more about pediatric pain management at Seattle Children's Research Institute. I'm also looking forward to building a strong relationship with my faculty mentor and refining my career goals.

• Decide what to do for my senior thesis. I officially became a College Honors student at the start of this quarter after getting my Departmental Honors thesis proposal approved. My project would assess the effects of sex on motor recovery after spinal cord injury by expanding our previous research to include male rats. But I realized that I would essentially be doing the same thing that I've been doing for the past two years so, at the end of the quarter, my PI and I explored options for other projects, such as doing experimental research regarding pain in rats or more analytical research with the monkeys. Since I haven't made a decision yet, I'm hoping that my research internship will give me an idea of what kind of project I want to pursue next year.