Projects

I chose to do the teaching capstone because I wanted to improve my public speaking skills, and I wanted to dive deep into a topic I was passionate about. The most difficult part was condensing my class material into one Donuts and Discussion presentation. I decided to focus on the human-animal bond and its implications for veterinary medicine for my presentation. This was the material that I thought was the most interesting and would give me better idea of the bigger picture surrounding my future profession.

Throughout my time in Percussion Studio, I led seven ensembles and arranged music for five of them. I do not consider myself experienced in music theory or score-writing software, so I did my best to write by ear. With each ensemble I led, I became more confident in my ability to write and to make creative decisions. The button below links to my Musescore, but here are links to some of our live performances: Hard Times, Spacewhackers, and ABBA Medley.

Biomedical physiology was a tough class to take during my last semester of college. As part of my honors contract, I wrote a review paper over a physiological topic. I chose to write about the female feline reproductive system, and more specifically, their estrus cycles. I want to eventually become a small animal veterinarian, yet I have never owned a cat myself. It is important for pet owners and veterinarians to know how their cycles work so that they can properly care for them.

After I took biomedical anatomy in Spring 2021, I decided to apply to become a teaching assistant for the next semester. The hands-on lab had easily become one of my favorite classes I've taken, and I wanted to help other students find the same passion in the subject. As part of my honors contract, I designed two hands-on models of anatomical concepts taught in class, but not clearly seen on the cadavers. I created models of the inguinal canal and the layers of the heart using common craft materials and created associated learning activities.

As part of the honors section of my veterinary entomology class, I performed a research project on the efficiency of four different baits on attracting red imported fire ants. Afterwards, I wrote a scientific research paper on my project to match journal formatting that included  displaying the data I had collected and a discussion that analyzed my findings. Additionally, I had to adjust my project so that I could work at home without university resources due to COVID-19.

I helped design a scientific poster with my teammates for my design experiements for physiology class as part of the Biomedical Research Certificate Program. Our project investigated how the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model could be used to measure toxicity. Our poster introduces the CAM, argues that an established method to measure toxicity in the CAM does not exist, describes our current procedure, and explains challenges we had and possible solutions.

I participated in a competition to solve a problem in the veterinary medicine field by inventing and presenting a product in 48 hours. I worked with five other students from both veterinary and engineering backgrounds to develop a reusable and sterilizable heating pad cover for small animal veterinarians to use during and after surgery. During this competition, I was able to practice working under pressure while developing marketing skills, problem solving skills, and communication skills. After presenting our product to a panel of judges, my team won Honorable Mention and a prize of $250.

As part of the honors section of my art history class, I wrote a research essay over English-born American landscape painter Thomas Cole and how he changed the style of landscape painting to encourage U.S. citizens to appreciate nature and to showcase the unique qualities of the New World compared to Europe. The essay also explores how his patinting "The Oxbow" can be interpreted as a self-portrait, or as a scientific, aesthetic, religious, or sociopolitical painting.  

Every week of freshman year, the University Honors program required us to respond to a series of prompts on various topics. They included questions about personal values, study habits, future goals, and what we were doing to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. I combined a year's worth of responses in chronological order to demonstrate my growth over freshman year.

The Battalion was one of nine college papers the nation selected to participate in the Poynter Institute’s 2018-2019 College Media Project. For the project, I was the only staff writer to work with the student newspaper editorial staff on a three-issue multimedia project investigating the Corps of Cadets at A&M. I performed research and conducted interviews with several staff, faculty, and former students on three topics: history of women in the Corps, Corps housing, and history of hazing in the Corps and other A&M organizations. One of our issues won second place in the "Best Special Section - More Than Four Pages" category at the 2019 Fall National Pinnacle College Media Awards.

I wrote a one-page executive summary of my Real World Issue Annotated Bibliography Assignment for my honors seminar, then condensed the information into a one-minute elevator pitch. This video helped me practice communicating with brevity, which is a valuable skill that helps convey important information in small chunks that are easy to understand. My pitch covered concerns about rising veterinary care costs, how it affects pet owners, and possible solutions.

For the honors section of my public health entomology class, I developed a vector control plan for a simulated yellow fever outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Additionally, I assessed the effectiveness of the implemented control methods and considered the logistical issues involved in setting up a control program. I created an annotated bibliography that was used to write an essay, the final draft of which is attached. On the last day of class, I presented my plan to my professor and TA.