Carris Borland '21
Class Year
2021
Area(s) of Study
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) (major), and Neuroscience (minor)
Hometown
From Belize, but resides in Waukegan, IL
Co-curricular
Lead lab Peer teacher for Bio 221 Laboratory research in the DebBurman lab Notetaker for Bio 220
Achievements
Phi Beta Kappa Magna Cum laude Senior thesis distinction Research grant award recipient Neuroscience research award recipient Honorable mention for ASBMB undergraduate poster competition
Graduate Study
Neuroscience PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine
Why did you choose Lake Forest College?
I chose Lake Forest College because the College had a good reputation, a high graduation rate, friendly faculty, staff, students, and it was at a convenient location. But mostly, I chose Lake Forest College because it is a small liberal arts College which has the advantage of boosting my success outcome due to the excellent student to teacher ratio, the tight-knit community and for its well-rounded education.
What attracted you to the Neuroscience major?
The excellent professors at the College and the fact that neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field with lots of exciting and unanswered questions.
What are your career goals and how did Lake Forest College helping you arrive at and achieve these goals?
I want to someday work in industry as a medical scientist. This meant that the next big step after undergrad was to earn a PhD at an accredited institution. Lake Forest College has helped me to accomplish this by instilling values such as hard work, patience, creativity, critical thinking and positivity. Also, the faculty and staff there really care, and they were the ones who worked earnestly to guarantee my success by providing financial help, leadership opportunities, extensive research opportunities, professional networking and sound guidance and advice. I was able to become a competitive applicant for which I got accepted into many (9) excellent PhD neuroscience programs.
How have the opportunities in college helped shape your college experience?
The opportunities shaped my college experience in a positive way by helping me to become a responsible and well-rounded student.
What are one or more distinctive experiences in your major that make it stand out?
The time the professors take to invest in their students. Neuroscience is hard, and when I would struggle, I could always go to the professors, and they are always willing to help. They won't give up until you understand the material.
What advice would you give to a high school student looking to pursue neuroscience and is considering Lake Forest College?
I would say first, that choosing Lake Forest is an excellent choice because their Neuroscience program is strong and will provide many opportunities to help you succeed in your future career. The neuroscience curriculum will teach you discipline, which is something vital for health and science careers. If you are still unsure, don't be afraid to reach out to the professors (even if you have not enrolled and would like to inquire more about the program and the school), they are excellent, will answer any questions you have, and they only want you to succeed. Also, visit the campus and reach out to various students (faculty would be more than happy to help you connect with past and present neuroscience students), they are all very friendly and would love to talk about their unique experiences.