Inspiring Advice from Outstanding LSU College of Science 2017 Graduates
Happy Commencement Day LSU Class of 2017!
Today we celebrate the achievements, dedication and hard work of our graduating seniors.
To our current and prospective students: Join us in celebrating your fellow students today, in person or online (#LSUgrad). To inspire you, some of our outstanding 2017 graduates offer their advice to you below!
“I encourage younger students to join the LSU Distinguished Communicator program to not only enhance their communication skills in the sciences but to also gain a competitive edge after LSU. ”
Rakeal Williamson. Photo by Paige Jarreau.
Rakeal majored in biological sciences and minored in business. She is graduating this week as a Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) Distinguished Communicator and medalist. Following graduation, she plans to attend Meredith College graduate school in North Carolina.
“Choose classes by your interest in them, not by their difficulty. You’ll enjoy them more, and you may even do better academically than if you had taken the easy class.”
Charles is a biology major and a history minor. He is also graduating as a Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) Distinguished Communicator and medalist. He plans to attend LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport for Medical School following graduation.
“My primary advice for students entering chemistry would be to find a laboratory with a lead professor who matches your work style. By working under that professor, learning all you can about your particular area of chemistry, and developing your communication skills, the remainder of your undergraduate career will eventually simplify to identifying pieces of information in your coursework that will best augment your research and work interests for the future.”
Blake Kruger.
Blake majored in chemistry and minored in biological sciences and German. He is also graduating as a CxC Distinguished Communicator and medalist. He was also named to the Tiger Twelve Class of 2017. He was recently awarded the Department of Chemistry's Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award for 2017 and the Phi Sigma Pi Outstanding Scholarship Award for 2017.
“My one piece of advice to other students would be for them to pace themselves. The physics curriculum can be demanding, but doing a little every day makes things much more manageable than trying to do it all at once.”
Anthony Davilla will be starting the health physics master's program at LSU in the fall. Geaux Anthony!
“Expose yourself to current research as early as possible. As undergrad students, our education is primarily focused on well-established theories and fundamental principles. We rarely get to see what people are actually researching today. Read journals. Listen to online talks (or live talks if available). Talk to your professors. Build a sense of what is going on in the scientific community so you can have a clearer vision of your future in science.”
Josh prepares to purify protein from yeast during his research internship in Germany.
Josh majored in both microbiology and chemistry and minored in math. He is also graduating as a CxC Distinguished Communicator and medalist. Following graduation, Josh will pursue a PhD in biophysical chemistry at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.
Josh was also named a Outstanding Supplemental Instructor for 2016-2017, for his work in Chemistry 1201/1202 with Dr. Hopkins. He has also received the Tiger Athletic Foundation Thesis Scholarship for his microbiology honors thesis, and was awarded a DAAD-RISE Scholarship for which he completed a summer research internship in Germany.
He is also an Xbox champ!
“Make friends with your classmates. There’s always something you won’t understand and it helps to have others that might understand different concepts to help you out. Plus you can help them out when they inevitably don’t understand a topic you understand.”
Daniel DiMarco.
Daniel plans to attend LSU graduate school upon graduation for a master's degree in health physics. Daniel also received the LSU MedPhysics award in April 2017. LSU’s Medical Physics and Health Physics Program offers scholarships of $5000 each to fund undergraduate students in STEM fields who are interested in exploring careers in the radiation sciences. To be eligible to apply, students must be a full-time student enrolled at LSU A&M or Southern University in Baton Rouge and maintain a 3.0 grade point average
“The advice I would offer to my younger peers is to not be afraid to try something outside of your comfort zone. The worst that can happen is that you hate it and never do it again. Or you might love it and find a new passion.”
Nikka Khorsandi.
Nikka is a Biological Sciences major and a Business Administration & Leadership Development minor. He is also graduating as a CxC Distinguished Communicator and medalist. After graduation, he will be attending a dual MD/MPH program at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He was also recently awarded a fellowship from the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society and a scholarship from the Phi Kappa Phi-LSU Chapter.
“My one piece of advice would be to get to know your professors and classmates very well. My professors were always incredibly helpful and never turned down a question I had, and working with my classmates through homework material and studying with them for tests helped all of us learn the material much better.”
Brandon Luckett.
Upon graduation, Brandon will be attending M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas for a master's degree in medical physics. Brandon also received the LSU MedPhysics award in April 2017.
“My one piece of advice to current or perspective students in geology: When it comes time to go to field camp, go into it with a positive attitude. When you are there, work hard and do your best, but also leave room for fun. It is a lot of challenging work, but it is very rewarding and will be one of the best experiences of your life. Enjoy it while it lasts, because even if you think you won’t, you’ll miss it!!”
Hunter Songy.
Hunter majored in geology. He is a recipient of the prestigious New Orleans Geological Society Memorial Scholarship and the Charles L. Jones Scholarship in Geology & Geophysics. He conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Barbara Dutrow, Adophe G. Gueymard Professor in the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics, on the mineral tourmaline and its potential utility to target economically valuable gold deposits.
Hunter looks forward to graduate school and working in the oil industry or a related sector.
“My one piece of advice would be to stay curious; follow your curiosity, don’t be afraid to put in the hard work and everything else will follow.”
Patrick plans to attend LSU Health Science Center's School of Medicine upon graduation.
“When I was a child, one of my goals was to learn absolutely everything about the universe that I could. About a decade and a half later, I am graduating with my first physics degree. So my advice to other students would be that they should never lose the passion for learning. It will take them far in life and in their careers.”
Sean plans to pursue a master’s or PhD degree.