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Kelley Wanzeck |
Established in 2001, the BRIN program was created to expose students to serious biomedical research, build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions and to strengthen each undergraduate institution’s infrastructure and increase its capacity to conduct cutting-edge biomedical and behavioral research.
Today, we meet Kelley Wanzeck, one of the new BRIN scholars on campus.
Who is Kelley Wanzeck?
I am the daughter of Tom and Sandy Wanzeck and sister to Christine and Becca Wanzeck. I was born in Houston and since then have moved seven times in my life. My current hometown is Aurora, Colo. I will be a junior at Creighton University in the fall. I’m studying biochemistry and am interested in pursuing a career in biomedical research or another field related to biochemical sciences. I am extremely organized, passionate about everything I do and very involved at Creighton. I look forward to a wonderful summer as a BRIN scholar.
Has science always been a part of your life?
It has! I have always loved science. My true desire for science in my future presented itself during my sophomore year of high school when I was enrolled in a biology course that, with help from a Colorado community college, provided me with the opportunity to work with gel electrophoresis for the first time. Since this interaction, I have known that I wanted to pursue a career in the scientific field.
How is it important to you?
Science is important to me because it has made up a large part of my life over the past few years. In pursuing my desires to eventually work in the scientific field, I have spent my entire college experience exploring different fields in an effort to discover my true passion. Science is important to me because I know that in whatever type of science I end up seeking as a career, I will be working to make advances that will help to shape my world as I know it. I am excited about the opportunity for discovery and know that my personality will make a career in science an exciting and beneficial one.
Why did you choose to participate in the BRIN program?
I heard about the BRIN program from another undergraduate working in my research lab on my home campus who had joined the program the previous year. I choose to apply because I see the program as a great way to become directly involved with “real world” science early in my academic career. I also think the program will help me tremendously to network as I narrow down what exactly it is that I want to do after I finish my undergrad. The program will give me the opportunity to work with peers who are passionate about the same things as I am, and will ultimately help me to define whether or not a career in research is right for me.
What do you hope to gain from the program?
I hope that through my participation in the program, I will have the opportunity to interact with both peers and mentors who will help me to network in the scientific field throughout the remainder of my undergrad and post-grad experience. I hope that the program will give me the insight as to whether or not a career in research is right for me, and that it might help me develop the confidence I will need to work at the graduate level. I wish to gain the confidence needed to present my research results, the confidence to successfully network with scientists in the field and the confidence to pursue the career I am most passionate about. I hope the program might give me research experience that will help me in any scientific career that I may choose to pursue.