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“Although I chose Carthage because of a combination of factors, ultimately, the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) and the small class sizes made the decision for me. The WSGC allows me to obtain research experience as an undergraduate. The small class sizes allow me to communicate with peers and incorporate a teaching style better aligned with my learning style.”

“Being able to form a personal connection with my professors has made a world of difference for me; not only can I go and get help on homework or projects, but I can also ask for career advice or what my next step should be in my professional development. That is something that not many college undergraduates at larger schools get to experience.”

“My favorite class has been Classical Mechanics with Professor Jean Quashnock. It covers the same physics that I have been learning for years, but taught at a level that perfectly introduces more advanced thinking. Taking something like conservation of momentum and using it to derive a whole description of a multi-part system is super satisfying or just learning about the Principle of Least Action and why everything in the universe behaves the way it does.”

“While I still have many difficult classes ahead of me, the toughest class I have taken so far is Math Methods for Scientists and Engineers with Professor Haley Yaple. This class taught me so many important ways to look at complicated math problems. Especially in physics or engineering, there are common problems in which reaching the solution may require 10 or more steps and other calculations, so it’s important to decide how you want to approach the problem.”

“I am actively participating in the (Sigma Pi Sigma). It is a wonderful community of driven people that provides many opportunities for conferences to attend and fun events outside of classes, homework, and sleep. Because of how much I love this community, I spent my sophomore year as the chapter’s secretary. Now, I am the chapter president! I plan to continue to build the community that drew my freshman self in.”

“Carthage has provided me with countless opportunities. The Space Sciences Program here connected me with several projects, and through the Society for Physics Students, I’ve been able to go to different conferences, such as the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary People in Physics at Purdue University and the American Nuclear Society Student Conference at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.”

“My ultimate career goal is to do scientific research in plasma or microgravity physics. To reach that goal, I will more than likely need a PhD, which is my current plan after Carthage. I am looking into numerous different options for graduate schools, and I feel Carthage will prepare me amazingly for the application and interview process.”

“The David A. Straz Jr. Center has many rooms, nooks, or chairs where I have spent many hours studying and working. There are also all the labs where I spend countless hours.”

“Spend time planning and organizing. A college student’s life is incredibly busy, and if you don’t know what you have to do and when, it just makes your life more complicated. I like to spend Sundays plotting what tasks have to get done each day of the week. Then, in the morning, I spend a few minutes planning what I want to do when I know exactly what I am working towards completing at any point in the day.”

“I think 8-year-old me would be ecstatic at everything I have done. Learning and solving complicated problems is exactly what I have done my entire life, and being at Carthage, I can do just that all day, every day. Also, because of Carthage, I got an internship at the Johnson Space Center working for NASA, which 8-year-old me would have been over the moon for (pun intended).”