HPU graduates are leading prestigious career paths around the world at Fortune 500 companies, international service programs, public school systems, top-tier law, medical and graduate school programs, and many other esteemed organizations thanks to their journey at HPU. Here’s a glimpse of one extraordinary senior from the Class of 2022:
Name: Allison Tucker
Hometown: Cross Lanes, West Virginia
Major: Neuroscience with a minor in psychology
Post-graduation plans: Tucker will be joining the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program (NIH UGSP) where she will work as a researcher. The prestigious scholarship program accepts 15 students nationally every year. Tucker will be working in the NIH Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS) in the Viral Immunology Section of the Neuroimmunology and Neurovirology Division (NND) as a researcher. Tucker will gain invaluable research experience in this program before she pursues her Ph.D. in Neuroscience.
How HPU helped you get there: “HPU provided a community where I found support and guidance from mentors and peers. The Office of Career and Professional Development helped me develop my CV and expand my options for graduate school. Professors and mentors not only gave constructive feedback but also invaluable encouragement.“
Most impactful mentor at HPU: “Multiple mentors provided me with the advice, guidance and support it took to get into this program and reach my other undergraduate goals. Dr. Aurijit Sarkar, my research mentor in HPU’s Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, has guided me on research projects for the past three years. He has taught me the ins and outs of conducting, writing and presenting my research, and provided much needed support and encouragement. Dr. Kristin Ackerman, assistant professor of medical sciences, provided me assistance as an academic advisor and professor that helped guide my professional goals regarding the NIH UGSP program and my graduate school plans. Additionally, professors in the biology, neuroscience and chemistry departments have aided me in both my academic and professional pursuits.”
Most impactful moment at HPU: “The many impactful moments at HPU all have one thing in common. The continued realization that I am learning and researching what I love! These moments include studying late at night with friends while excitingly talking about lessons in class and sitting in the research lab feeling a profound sense of accomplishment when the experiment I designed finally worked.”
What are the life skills HPU helped you develop that prepared you for long-term success? “HPU provided me with the means to develop confidence and the impactful written and oral speaking skills to communicate my work. I have also developed resilience in the face of a challenge.”
Advice for underclassmen: “Use HPU’s resources. Your professors and the school wants to see you succeed, and your success is defined by yourself. They are here to celebrate your accomplishments and to support you through failures. Through these mentors, you’ll learn about professional opportunities, valuable skills and how to look at your post-graduation experience with an open and ambitious mind.”
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