Photo Courtesy of Aoife Maher Ryan

“I heard Hofstra had a pretty good forensics program and I really wanted to do forensics. I looked at other places. I was thinking of West Virginia [University] because they have a really good forensics [program as well], but my mom told me I couldn’t go there because she heard people drop out due to partying, so she forbade me from going. We visited Hofstra on one of our tours and we really liked it because the tour made it seem better. I’m a triplet, I have two sisters. The older one, Holly, is at [University of South Carolina] studying media arts; she wants to be a comedian. The younger one, Carrie Anna, is at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia doing a lot of cool things like internships with Google. I would like to get my Ph.D in molecular biology [and] work in the industry and do research. I’m currently on track to do the 5-year master’s program and then I [plan to] go work in the industry for a few years. Sometimes in the industry, if they really like you they will pay for you to get your Ph.D., and that’s what I’m planning to do. I’ve been a teaching assistant (TA) for Biology 011 for the past two semesters. I did really well in that class with Dr. Krause and so she emailed a few of her students over winter break and asked if any of us wanted to assist her and do research. I said yes to both. Since I have experience, I help a lot of my friends who are [TAs] for the first time, [and are] feeling unsure. I’ve made good friends with the students I assisted last year. In Biology 011, the TA has to prep all the reagents for the lab and whatever other materials are necessary. The [TAs also stay] for the lab to make sure the students have what they need and answer any questions. I am going to research defensins, which is a peptide that defends against microbes, and if and how a protein called CSDE1 regulates its transcription in oysters since their immune system is very similar to ours. We expect to find that it does bind and positively regulates defensins. It’s fun; I’m looking forward to the outcome. I love it.”