Hello

While a student at the University of South Carolina, I have had the opportunity to be involved in various activities that have made my time as an undergraduate exceptional! I am currently the executive producer of the Seeking Refuge Podcast, a podcast that aims to share the stories of refugees, migrants, and new Americans as well as the stories of those that help them. Additionally, I serve as a Magellan Ambassador with the office of undergraduate research. Within this role, I am able to advise students towards finding a research group to work with, mentor other ambassadors as they share their research journeys, and share my own research journey thus far as a student at USC. Aside from those two activities, I serve as a social media and PR coordinator for the university's student-run research magazine Carolina Crosstalk and as a volunteer at the Columbia areas Free Medical Clinic. 

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Aside from my extracurricular activities, one large venture I've spent my time working on while an undergraduate student is research. I've had the privilege of working with three research groups while I've been a student at USC. The first is the Armstrong group, a research group that focuses on utilizing the common fruit fly as a tool for learning more about the genetic basis of obesity-related inflammation and coupled disease. The second group I've been able to work with is the Swartz lab group at the Mount Sinai Ichan school of medicine. While a member of the group, I've had the opportunity to complete an internship with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) all while focusing on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) related research. Lastly, I've had the honor to complete molecular simulations with the Ge group. These simulations show thermodynamic processes occurring in real-time. My research experiences while a student have been eye-opening and simultaneously challenging. With this in mind, I've chosen to take the Research Pathway in regard to my graduation with leadership distinction. 

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After University, I plan to take a gap year and continue my research project with the Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. Additionally, I plan to apply for medical school in hopes of becoming a physician-scientist with a focus on community aims at helping immigrant/refugee/and new American populations. 

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My completed portfolio weaves a story of my time at USC. My three key insights aptly titled Presentation of Self, Celebrating Diversity, and Trying Again may not outright seem indicative of the research-heavy focus I've taken as an undergraduate student. However, each of these realizations has led me to become a more confident well rounded researcher, student, and peer, and for that, I am forever grateful. Additionally, using the insights I have gained, I have attempted to solve a problem dealing with the lack of diversity in research in my leadership section. I look forward to hearing your thoughts regarding my portfolio. Cheers.