Michael Sklar

Major: Political Science

Michael went behind the scenes at the second 2016 Republican Presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in nearby Simi Valley, CA.

What did your volunteer experience at the GOP debate entail?

Through my participation in the Cal Lutheran College Republican club I was able to attend the Republican Presidential Debate at the Reagan library. I volunteered in the spin room and was able to assist the staff by guiding the candidates into the spin room and guiding them to the different media outlets located throughout the spin room.

During the first debate at 3pm I was assigned to follow Bobby Jindal’s campaign manager and during the second debate I was assigned to follow Ohio Governor John Kassich. I bumped into former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger walking through the area where the volunteers were watching the debate or shaking hands with Ben Carson as me and another volunteer bumped into him walking down to the volunteer meeting.

It was an amazing experience to be able to see these candidates in person and get to hear them speak to the media.

In the spin room at the GOP debate

Did this experience relate to your career goals?

My career goals entail transferring to law school and working in the legal field. This experience did not directly relate to my goals but as many of the candidates, such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, were lawyers at one point and law does relate directly to politics it was a unique experience that allowed me to further my knowledge of public policy through hearing these candidates speak both at the debate and to the media. I would have never heard many of the post debate interviews with smaller media outlets having not been working the spin room.

Any advice for future students?

As a poli-sci major [volunteering at the debate] gave me the opportunity to have a firsthand look at a crucial part of a political campaign. Without being involved in extracurricular activities on campus I would have never had this opportunity.  There are so many opportunities to get involved especially in the Political Science department. We have an excellent Model UN club on campus as well as several other political science clubs. My suggestion to any student is to get involved as much as you can because you’ll be afforded a lot of opportunities to further your education and give you experiences you can’t get anywhere else.

Pierce Hening

Majors: Physics, Music Production

Research Mentor: Dr. John Deisz

Pierce participated in full-time research during the summer of 2015 through a Swenson Summer Research Fellowship awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Studies.

What was your summer research project? Did you learn anything exciting?

My research was on the superconductivity of the material strontium ruthenate, specifically creating quantum simulations in order observe the behavior and characteristics of the material. Something exciting I learned in the process was how this material behave unconventionally compared to other known superconductors in that it exhibits half-flux states.

How did you get involved in doing research? What sparked your interest?

I was involved through my professor who also performed research on this in he graduate years. I applied for a research fellowship and for some reason I was chosen. I just wanted experience and had no idea this was what I was doing until I started working but found it extremely interesting.

How has doing physics research as an undergraduate enhanced your experience? Has it influenced your future goals?

It has definitely given me an advantage to those who have not done research like this. I wrote about 3,000 lines of code where in other situations at other schools the code is kind of handed to them where as i developed it from the ground up. Most physics student don’t perform this type of work until the graduate years and having it during my undergraduate education has prepared me for my future education and future work environments. It hasn’t inspired any future goals per say, but given me more confidence in attempting to reach my goals.

If you choose to pursue physics at the graduate level, do you feel well prepared for it? Why?

Yes, I feel more prepared because I know I can keep up with any type of work that comes my way. It has established a mind set for me that is fun. I like doing this kind of stuff, even though it is not directly related to my future interests, I love it. That is why I am a physics major. It is hard for me to even call it work because I have so much fun doing it.

Why did you choose to double major? How does your double major express who you are?

I love both physics and music production passionately, and I wanted a challenge that reflects my capabilities. My double major expresses my ideas about developing intelligence along with talent and a bit of charisma. I love to do what is unexpected, maybe even irregular, and surprise people with capabilities they didn’t know I had.

What is your career goal? How will your double major impact your career goal?

I realize my majors can lead to completely different careers. Fortunately I can further my education in both subjects as a graduate student. I do want to be a part of something that incorporates both the aesthetic and technology of music production with the theoretical and practical uses of physics.

What are you most passionate about in school? In life?

I am passionate about increasing my intelligence along with the wisdom to use it.  Also, my family, my friends, my relationship with a wonderful young woman, and with surfing coming in there somewhere.

Anything else you’d like to say about double majoring to prospective Cal Lutheran students?

If you plan on double majoring, especially in opposite disciplines, have your four-year schedule organized and ready by the end of your first semester. I’d be much better off if I’d taken a few classes earlier.

Harold Muliadi in the studio

Major: Art

Why was an atelier approach to art so crucial for you?

The atelier-inspired approach used by many Cal Lutheran art professors gives students opportunity to learn not only through instruction but by observing their professors in practice, displaying and modeling the skills, techniques, and conduct of an active artist. I think that effective problem solving strategies and skills are central to each university student’s development, and it’s invaluable to allow professors the space, time, and resources to model behavior for their students, demonstrating how they encounter, analyze, and resolve obstacles to creating the art they want and need to.

For myself, I often found my occasional feelings of uncertainty to be an obstacle in getting to where I need to be, and being able to observe my professors recognize and face challenges in creating their own art prompted me to see the creation of art differently.

Instead of expecting something like a multiple-choice exam where I had to have all the right answers, I learned to expect and even seek out the unfamiliar or unexpected, sharpening my technical skills and honing my “artist’s eye.”

In practical terms, this translated to things like, “how do I render a convincing reflection in a drawing or painting,” or “how do I create harmonious proportions of light and dark in a picture,” or the ever-present and unrelenting technical hurdle to anyone who’s ever tried their hand at drawing: “how in the world do I draw a straight line?”

Finally, I feel that observing professors create their own works in progress was instrumental in shaping my own approach to my paintings, not just in terms of subject matter or technique, but in displaying an organic development of ideas and approaches that revealed things that the structure and constraints of assignments couldn’t always convey.

How did you develop and discover your own style?

The foundations of my style started quite early on. Artistic style blossoms out of the way in which artists’ foundations and backgrounds teach them to see the world, and style is tempered and shaped by physiology and the tools within the artist’s reach. As a painter, I can see how my work shows influence from all of this.

I often hear my paintings referred to as impressionistic in style. I can think of at least two reasons for this. Growing up, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about fine art, but I did find myself captivated by the concept art of the film and videogame industries. “Concept art,” while pretty diverse, by and large draws a lot of influence from impressionism out of necessity. As ideas which must be expressed quickly for other teams of artists to refine and realize, concept art pieces are executed quickly and loosely except in important focal points of their compositions. The concepts for the movie Blade Runner by artist Syd Mead, for example, are sketchy towards their edges but masterfully embody the crowded, futuristically hard-boiled sci-fi dystopia which was recreated in the film.

The second reason for the impressionistic way in which I paint is because I’ve always had poor eyesight. My eyes have long been nearsighted and easily strained, and in my drawing classes I found that taking off my glasses or simply looking over the top of my lenses gave my weary eyes rest and had the added benefit of allowing me to see my subject or the artwork I was working on as a fully-integrated, blurred-together unity when my long staring sessions often left me incapable of looking at the whole of what I was doing—a revelation, like putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. It was only later that I learned that a certain Claude Monet had the same way of looking at his subjects through his woefully cataracted eyes.

I also mentioned tools being important to the style of myself or of any artist. In my case, before I started at CLU and was trained in the use of a veritable arsenal of artistic instruments and implements, my primary tool was the humble and utilitarian disposable ballpoint pen. With Bic pens and any paper at hand, I spent thousands of hours milling out thousands of well-intentioned but rather low-quality drawings which formed the pillar of practice that my current skills rest upon. Millions and millions of little diagonal lines were how I shaded and filled out all of those drawings, and painting turned out to be similar, with the exception that brushes had many little bristles, and each brush used its bristles to make many little lines according to its own profile. In fact, I continue to use disposable pens, still using them regularly to make my concept and practice sketches.

And with reference to how I see the world, when I paint or draw figurative work, I do what figurative artists tend to do: I idealize my subjects. In my case, though, this idealization has somewhat less to do with desirable proportions or complexion than it might for many artists; rather, the idealized person is confident and strong, the master of his or her own world: human, yet exuding all of the poise and dignity of a god.

I think this comes from my lifelong struggles with self-esteem, uncertainty, anxiety, and compulsive, hard-to-manage thoughts. Art has served for me as an aid in controlling myself and my own mind, a sort of anti-Pandora’s Box, not creating chaos but reining it in and directing it.

What was the balance like between self-discovery and guidance from your professors?

As a student, it was important for me to realize that assignments are generally designed to guide students to a certain realization by taking a specific approach, rather than to tell them the one possible answer to the question.

When I have to think, for example, “How do I know what to paint?” I’m not hampered by the many different and sometimes contradictory ways I’ve been taught to come up with an answer to that. Instead, having had many different techniques lets me either follow or contradict these ideas, or play them off each other to make something new. Thus, following assignments and instruction aided my self discovery. I was able to change “I don’t know where to start” into “Well, I can take inspiration from abstract patterns. Or from nature. Or from actions. Or riff off of already existing imagery that works well.”

What was it like to have your first solo show here in the Kwan Fong Gallery?

The response to my show was very encouraging. I think the biggest thing I took away from doing that show was that the feedback I got from it emphatically demonstrated to me that I can make imagery that people enjoy. I had gotten a lot of compliments on my art before, but having my show in the Kwan Fong, where a lot of people I know could come and see it, and many did, was like the happy conclusion to a big chapter of my life as an artist, and it’s left me ready for more: more art and more shows, and whatever else I can pull my way.

Harold’s solo show in the Kwan Fong Gallery ran from November to January 2015.

Do you have any advice for future art students at Cal Lutheran?

I would say that four years (or two years for transfer students like me) isn’t a whole lot of time to learn to make art, so learning what kind of thing you want to make is important to do pretty early on. This isn’t as daunting as it might seem—the majority of knowing what you want to make is knowing what you like. And to explore this as much as possible, it’s necessary to make a lot of time to work on projects on your own that are not necessarily related to your classes. A big part of learning art is self-guided exploration—professors can mentor and help you, but it’s ultimately up to you to learn what art you make and why.

Learning art can sometimes be slow and frustrating. For myself at least, I’ve found it tends to happen like this: you spend a long time making things that don’t seem to even resemble what you want to make, but once in a while you make one (drawing, sculpture, painting, picture) that fits the bill and makes you feel fantastic. Then, you seem to lose the magic. You can’t recreate it! But as you go on, the pieces you make that satisfy your sensibilities start coming more and more frequently. Learning to make art is an odd sort of walk: two steps forward and one step back, every time. Don’t get discouraged when you have difficulty—instead, focus on the things you have a hard time doing. While you’re a student, people expect you to be deep in the learning process, so you can experiment, be bold, and show that you’re struggling to improve as much as you want.

Amy Lai

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Amy is taking part in the pre-med advising program, which helps her connect with other students interested in a career in medicine, as well as prepare for med school applications and take classes that cover subjects found on the MCAT.

How did you find out about the pre-med program?

I found out about the pre-med program through the involvement fair my freshman year. I was introduced to our American Medical Student Association and soon after started getting involved with the club. I was further informed about the program through pre-health seminar, a class offered by the school.

How did you get started?

I started getting involved with the pre-med program by joining AMSA my freshman year and participating in the events and activities that the club held. I decided to run for secretary my sophomore year and am currently the Vice President of the club. I honestly think it was one of the best decisions I have made thus far.

What has been the most valuable part of your experience?

The most valuable part of the pre-med program is making connections with my fellow pre-med peers through AMSA. AMSA has become a community of students who share the same passion so it’s a nice place to be surrounded by peers that have the same interests and support you. AMSA is also a great place for lower classmen to get “tips and tricks” from upperclassmen that have experience with upper division science course, MCATs, and med school applications.

Have you taken any research or internship opportunities?

Through our former organic chemistry professor, John Tannaci, I was able to partake in a clinical internship with UCLA where I shadow medical practitioners. I have been shadowing two UCLA pulmonologists consistently since the summer of my freshman year. This experience has been an eye-opener to not only how hard it is to be a doctor, but how worthwhile this profession is. Seeing the patients each week brings me great joy and has solidified my desire to become a doctor.

In addition, I started research during the summer of 2015 under the mentorship of my biochemistry professor, Dennis Revie, in the field of Hepatitis C. Even though I know that I will not pursue research in the future, my interest towards virology has grown and I find myself constantly fascinated by this virus that a cure has yet to be found for. I constantly find myself excited in research when my fellow researchers and I find that our cells have successfully been infected or our methodology for our fluorescent microscopy yields clear images.

Do you have any advice for future pre-med students?

My biggest advice to future pre-med students is to get involved in anything and everything they find. I advise them to find internships as soon as possible. The first thing I tell any pre-med student I meet is to discover if this is really the field you want to pursue by working in clinics or the hospital because I always say, “How can you know that you want to be a doctor if you have yet to experience what it’s like to be a doctor?”

Also, start early. There are so many things to do and so little time. You need to start making a story for yourself at the beginning of freshman year. I do not say this to scare pre-meds away, but it is very important to start thinking about what you want your experiences to tell about you because that’s most likely the first thing interviewers for med school will ask you about. Also, find your passion. Once you find an area of medicine that you love, it’ll be easier to persevere towards that goal.

That’s it for now. Good luck, pre-meds!

Kristin Hijazin

Major: Exercise Science

Minor: Psychology

Kristin is taking part in the pre-med advising program, which helps her connect with other students interested in a career in medicine, as well as prepare for med school applications and take classes that cover subjects found on the MCAT.

How did you find out about the pre-med program?

I found out about the AMSA club from meeting the prior president of AMSA at a social event, and he told me all about the club and what it involves. He definitely made the club seem very fascinating and I knew it would be great to get involved in.

How did you get started?

A week after learning about AMSA, I signed up at a club booth, and from that point on I received all the emails and participated in all the events and attended all of the meetings.

What has been the most valuable part of your experience?

The most valuable portion of the pre-med program for me has been meeting other like-minded students who have similar goals. It is a long road to medical school, and it is helpful to have other students that have the same ambitions so we can help each other through the process.

Have you done any research?

I am currently doing research with Dr. Kelly, one of the professors of the Exercise Science Department. I, along with a few others, am looking for risk factors leading to metabolic syndrome in Cal Lutheran D3 athletes. I have really enjoyed this research and am hoping to co-author the paper with Dr. Kelly and a few others, and as soon as that gets wrapped up, I know I will get started with some more research in that department.

Do you have any advice for future pre-med students?

I would really recommend getting to know your professors. This allows you to learn how to establish a mature relationship in which you can learn to socialize with professionals, and it also just makes it that much easier to approach them. It is important to make connections and learn from their expertise. It is also one of the benefits of being at a small school and something that many students from large state schools do not have the chance to benefit from. I also really recommend shadowing or finding out what it is like to be a practicing physician. Many pre-meds have an unrealistic view of what being a doctor is like, and I find it helpful to see what the day-to-day practice is like so you can determine if medicine is right for you.

Why do you want to become a doctor?

I want to become a doctor because it would give me the opportunity to use my knowledge and compassion in assisting others — as well as working alongside other healthcare providers who share the same desire. Over the past five years, I have been volunteering in a hospital, and I have observed that doctors are always learning valuable lessons in this field. Overall, I can see the joy that stems from making others’ lives easier and eventually I will be able to help heal those in need, and when I do that, I know I will be rewarded with the upmost contentment. I cannot wait to make a positive difference in patients’ lives.

Olivia Marcey

Major: Global Studies, Political Science

Why did you choose to double major?

I chose to double major after participating in the CLU Program to study abroad in Oxford, England. Prior to this, I was much more focused on American government and politics, but developed a more holistic view of governance and interdependency between countries and regions while I was abroad. This piqued my interest in international affairs, so I decided to add a Global Studies major to expose myself to the study of new (to me, at least), complex issues I was becoming more and more passionate about.

How does your double major express who you are?

I think that I strive to achieve a broader understanding of the world around me, and how I fit into that world. I perceive the opportunity to double-major as a way for me to realize this goal. In addition, the complementary nature of Global Studies and Political Science allows me to view current issues and events through two distinct lenses, while still creating a cohesive and critical understanding of their significance.

What’s your career goal?

To specialize in international economic development, and build a career as an analyst or consultant for a bilateral or multilateral organization (i.e. United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department for International Development (DID), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Bank), or to work in the Foreign Service.

How will your double major impact your career goal?

For my specific goals, it is important to have an understanding of world politics, economics, sociology etc. and to be able to use skills and knowledge developed through the study of these disciplines to manage a variety of potential professional responsibilities in the field. Political Science is an important part of this, but for me it was imperative to incorporate different areas of study into my academic “arsenal.” In particular, I think that the non-western focus and foreign language requirements of CLU’s Global Studies major will help me immensely in my future career in the international arena.

How do you manage the extra study load?

With an interdisciplinary major like Global Studies, it is relatively easy to find classes that will satisfy both a major and Core 21 requirement. For example, I am taking Current Issues in Marine Biology this semester with Dr. Huvard, and this counts as a science and major requirement. Other than that benefit, I was able to fulfill a large number of upper division Political Science requirements abroad.

Anything else you’d like to say about double majoring to prospective Cal Lutheran students?

If it seems like a feasible option for you in your academic pursuits, I don’t think there are really any drawbacks. It will only serve you well in the long run.

What are you most passionate about in school? In life?

I have found through my experience on the Oxford Program that participation in tutorial-like classes (one-on-one to three-on-one), or other personalized learning experiences are by far the most effective method of promoting critical thinking among students. Especially in courses within the social sciences (I’ve found), discussion-based learning allows for a deeper understanding of issues and collective problem solving. Some of my passions in life reflect my academic interests. I love to read and write, as well as discuss theory, current events and even somewhat far-fetched solutions to the problems facing future generations.

Chelsea Graf

Major: History

Graduate Program: Preliminary Teaching Credential Single-Subject

Where do you live and work now?

I live in Oxnard, California, and am a full-time teacher at Isbell Middle School in Santa Paula. I teach 7th and 8th grade history and one 8th grade behavior/at-risk class.

How are you furthering your education? What’s your end goal?

I have begun my Masters in Teacher Leadership at Cal Lutheran. However, I have taken the rest of this school year off to focus on my first year of teaching. I am planning on researching the effects of how healthy, trusting, and encouraging relationships between teachers and students promotes student success.

How did Cal Lutheran prepare you for your current path?

I chose Cal Lutheran because of their teaching credential program. However, I also fell into place in the history program for my undergraduate degree. I knew I would be at home and comfortable with my major and the people the moment I had my first academic advising appointment with Dr. Reaves. She made me feel at home and provided me with the tools I needs to graduate on time and successfully.

While at Cal Lutheran, I was challenged in many ways to push my limits academically and reach higher heights. The history program was one of the hardest things I have ever accomplished, but I graduated in time and with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

The credential program was the next hardest thing I have ever done. But, at the end of it all, I felt more confident entering the classroom than I would have felt in any other program. I would not be as successful had I chosen another university that does not take the time to get to know the students and propel them/challenge them towards success.

Was faculty mentorship an integral part of your education?

Faculty mentorship was a huge part of my success story. There were many hours that I spent in Dr. Reaves’ office planning, venting, modifying, and even crying in my undergrad years. She was also the most challenging teacher I had at Cal Lutheran. I could not have done it without her. I would not be as prepared as I am today without her guidance.

What advice would you give to history majors?

My first piece of advice: GET INVOLVED! I went to every event on campus and became a peer advisor. I transferred in and commuted both years, but I made my life-long friends in those two years and built some great memories.

Second piece of advice: Build a great relationship with your faculty advisor, and meet with them as much as possible. And if Dr. Reaves is not your advisor, meet her! You need her in your life. We called her “the walking encyclopedia in four-inch heels.”

Third piece of advice: Go to the Writing Center — with EVERY paper. Meet with the DAs; they are there to help you. The more eyes on your paper, the better. And utilize the library. It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful, and there are so many resources there.

Finally: Study in groups if you like that. There are rooms in the library you can use, and studying with other people will help you remember the content, and you will continue to build relationships with your peers.

How do you stay connected as a Cal Lutheran alumna?

I made some of my best friends at Cal Lutheran and I either meet with them regularly or call them often. I have been traveling during the Homecoming events, but I’m planning on going next year. I have also been to a few alumni events that the school puts on for our class year. But I mostly just stay in contact with the friends that I made during my time there.

George Nasr

Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics

What kinds of opportunities have you found in the Computer Science program? 

My impression of the department is that the professors very much care for your success and want you to learn and understand the material, but they’re not going to babysit you. They want the student to be fully responsible for there own work, as being a self-starter and being able to follow through on an assignment is extremely important to being a computer scientist. By far, I feel my initiative to start projects and ask questions when I didn’t understand concepts has been why I’ve done well so far.

Side projects, and the desire to work on stuff just for fun, is really important. It’s the reason I know I picked the right major. One of the greatest things about CLU is how available the staff has been for me. I always feel bad about “bothering” them about my side projects I do for fun, but a common response I’ve gotten, from more then one professor, has been “If the door is open, I’m in office hours”, inviting me to come in and ask about questions I have, even when I’m not in a class with said professor.

I also managed to land an internship early second semester of my sophomore year with a company called Spirent. They do a lot of network testing, and my main job was to test the software to be used on the testing cards (yes, I tested the testing equipment). I would say my experience with the Computer Science department at CLU very well prepared me, especially since the used a different programming language but I was still able to catch on thanks to my strong programming background.

What has inspired you at Cal Lutheran?

Spheres Shading Project

Being a Mathematics and Computer Science double Major, I am simply inspired by the idea that I can take a mathematical concept (be it complex or simple) and try to use my programming experience to either simulate or calculate my topic of interest. I think the biggest inspiration I’ve received from a class here at CLU was Computer Graphics with Dr. Reinhart. In the class, we utilized some Linear Algebra tricks to perform some pretty cool graphical manipulations. For example, my favorite two topics were rotating cubes and performing lighting effects on a sphere. The math and programming behind them required some amount of time and patience, but it was very worth while.

Besides that, almost every Math class I’ve taken has given me most of my project ideas. That’s really my motive for wanting to program, asking “mathy” questions and wanting to see what the power of Computer Science can do.

What has surprised you about your experience?

I am really impressed with all the help I’ve gotten from the faculty at Cal Lutheran. They are very helpful and have been very inspiring to me. They have helped me whether I didn’t understand a concept in class, or if I just wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the material by exploring concepts not covered in class.

What’s next for you?

I am a double major, in Mathematics and Computer Science. While I love Computer Science and programming, my interests lie in learning more about Mathematics. So I plan to go to Graduate School in Mathematics, and while I am unsure of what I truly want to do, I am very interested in using programming as a tool to do some very complicated mathematical concepts. Well, that’s not entirely true – sometimes the easier ideas are fun and overly rewarding.

Tristen Burt

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Minor: Music

Research Mentor: Dr. Chad Barber

What was the focus of your research?

My research was focused on identifying mutations in common canine cancers and examining how they relate to human cancers.

An additional focus of mine is on screening these canine cancers to an array of anti-tumor drugs to determine their response and suitability for use in other mammalian models.

How was your research experience?

The fellowship granted me the opportunity to see where I’m going and what I want to be doing in 10 years. The experience really solidified a passion in me for biological and biomedical research. Hopefully one day I will get the opportunity to work just as hard with patients in this same manner.

What’s next?

A graduate program in medicine. My goal is to become a physician, and this program gave me a glimpse into what a medical career could be like.

Jacob Burman

Major: Chemistry

Minor: Mathematics

Research Mentor: Dr. Jason Kingsbury

What was the focus of your research?

The goal of my project is to optimize the Diazoalkane-Carbonyl Homologation. The diazo compounds have donor-acceptor properties that allow for formal carbon insertion into C-C or C-H bonds.

These insertions are synthetically useful because many biologically active compounds can be created easier with such a unique transformation. Once optimization occurs, a full-large scale synthesis and use of the diazo compounds will be exhibited for its practicality in industrial applications.

Why is this research important?

Optimization of this reaction can lead to further breakthroughs down the road in synthesis and natural product development.

Molecules isolated in nature can exhibit biological activity and with a novel reaction such as the formal carbon insertion can help develop easier ways to synthesize existing drug targets. Even the production of a probe for mitochondrial permeability conditions is possible once the process is perfected.

I regularly use characterization techniques learned in my undergraduate classes everyday to confirm results in correct structure and yields of various products created.

How was your research experience?

Working this summer with Dr. Kingsbury was eye-opening to say the least. Every day was an adventure in learning all the advanced techniques that professional chemists use to expertly manipulate materials. I’ve gained so much experience, but the most valuable thing for me is knowing that I still have so much to learn.

What’s next?

After graduation, I hope to enter a Ph.D. program in synthetic organic chemistry and am considering a future in either academia or industry.