Megan Anderson ‘21, a biology student in UHart’s Premedical Advising Program, is working with Associate Professor of Biology and Department Chair Aime Levesque on a cancer research project that explores the tumor suppressor protein, p53, and its effects on the cell division cycle after cells have experienced damage.
Megan says she chose biology/pre-med as her major because her dream was to pursue a career in medicine, possibly in pediatric sports medicine, since as far back as she can remember. “I’ve always had a love for people and science, and I want to use my passions in my medical career,” she says. Her minor in Spanish stems from the love of the language and her desire to improve her Spanish-speaking skills from her high school courses.
Megan was awarded the Dorothy Goodwin Scholarship last fall and has also been included on UHart’s Dean’s and President’s list each semester. She says her plan is to attend medical school in June of 2022 and plans on taking the MCAT following graduation.
Throughout her time within the College of Arts and Sciences, Megan says she has grown into a more well-rounded student and person. Courses such as Microbiology and Intro to Neuroscience have opened her eyes to new concepts and pushed her to be a better student. She says she owes a lot of her success to the guidance of biology faculty, in particular Associate Professor and Department Chair Aime Levesque, and Associate Professor Adam Silver. She explained Levesque has been her mentor since she came to UHart, which is why she decided to do her honors thesis under Levesque’s guidance. And she says Silver “Truly cares about his students, both through their success in the classroom, and as people outside of school.”
In addition to her academic achievements, Megan has been captain of UHart’s Division 1 volleyball team since her sophomore year. She’s also the co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is UHart’s American East SAAC Representative. Although Megan says the main reason she chose to study at UHart was to play volleyball, she feels lucky that it has also pushed her academically.
When asked what advice she would give to students interested in biology, Megan says to get involved in research projects as soon as possible as it has helped her grow tremendously academically. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there,” she says. “You will meet so many people, some will become life-long friends, and some won't, so just be yourself and your path will work itself out.”