Why did you choose your majors and minors? I am currently pursuing a B.A. in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology on a pre-med track. The reason why I choose to be a B.A. in Biochemistry instead of the more common Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) is because even though I love science, I also love English and humanities classes. A B.A. allows me to take four semesters of Spanish and other humanities classes that would provide me with a well-rounded education and opportunities in bilingual medicine.

Why did you choose your majors and minors? I am currently a pre-med student and I picked my majors and minors to help better prepare me for the MCAT and the subject matter I would most likely see in medical school. 

  Name: Benedictus Freeman

Term: 2^nd year Ph.D. student

Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Advisor: A. Townsend Peterson

Research interests: Conservation biology, distributional ecology, ecological niche modeling, and climate change

  Why did you choose your majors and minors?  I chose Biology as my major with hopes of a career in a medical field so that I may work to better the quality of others lives. As well, a minor in business will help me gain the skills for effective marketing & business strategies. 

How do your majors and minors complement one another? This major and minor allows my two greatest interests to be combined - helping people and developing leadership skills. I would like to go into biotech sales and this is a great option for me to combine the health care field with the creativity of marketing. 

Why did you choose your majors and minors? I chose to major in applied behavioral science because my therapist in high school helped me get my life on track when mental illness was decreasing my quality of life, and I want to help adolescents who are in a similar situation. Along with my minor in psychology, I'll have the knowledge needed to help mentor youths who have truancy issues, and I hope to eventually be certified as a mental health counselor. I decided to also minor in music because music also helped me improve my mental health in high school and I wanted to continue to learn about it in college. 

Why did you choose your majors and minors? I chose my major and minors because I feel like I can best understand the world around me by studying them.

How do your majors and minors complement one another? My majors and minors complement each other because they all have a cultural aspect to them and by studying a language, I can take my studies and knowledge internationally.

What is your favorite KU memory? My favorite KU memory is going to Late Night in the Phog both years I’ve been at KU.

What is one class at KU that everyone should take, and why? One class everyone should take is AAAS 117 with Professor Accilien because she is an awesome professor and the class opens your eyes to a lot of issues that are affecting Black women worldwide.

Hometown: Windsor, Ontario 

Major(s)/Minor(s): African and African American Studies, French minor 

Where did you study abroad? Dakar, Senegal 

Why did you choose to study abroad? I chose to study abroad to experience full language immersion in both French and Wolof. My scholarship has focused on Senegal, so I felt it paramount to visit the country at least once. 

Hometown: Hebron, Nebraska

Majors: Environmental Studies major, Spanish minor

Internship title and organization: Summer intern for 'The Land Institute' in Salina, Kansas

Mattie Bieberly is a dreamer with dedication, a compassionate Jayhawk who works hard to ensure that she's ready to give everything to help others. Mattie is what makes the College the Heart of KU. Mattie knows that getting your dream job doesn't just happen, it comes from preparing yourself with the right skills, gaining a wide range of experiences and working hard to turn your passions into reality. With aspirations to work in the government, it's an understatement to say that Mattie's time at KU has been full. Her studies and campus involvement is an overflowing plate. Academically, she's pursuing majors in history and political science, as well as a minor in Middle East Studies, all focused on building her understanding of Iraq.

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas 

Majors: B.A. Biology, minor Philosophy 

Internship title and organization: Atlantis Project Fellowship, Hospital Shadowing in Spain