From junior high through senior year in College: St. Lawrence is Christy
Fessler ’07’s (Kendall, NY) top
choice. Christy wanted
to attend St. Lawrence after hearing her step-father, a St. Lawrence graduate,
talk about it and it is still her top choice. “St. Lawrence helps
you grow in many ways beyond just education,” she believes.
Christy, a psychology major, received a University Fellowship to
work with Professor Bill DeCoteau on the role of basal ganglia in
behavioral flexibility in rats. Christy says the research involves “lesioning
brain cells in the basal ganglia in the rats to make them functionless. I
then teach them two separate tasks, and compare the results to those
of control rats. The idea is lesioned rats should have trouble learning
the task compared to the control group.”
She considers research to be a significant aspect of education
as it “solidifies, refines and reinforces anything
you learn.” Christy will continue to work on the same research
next fall as her senior honors project with Dr. DeCoteau.
Outside the labs, Christy works at the mail room, practices moves
with her dance team or hangs out with her close group of friends.
She has also been involved with Habitat for Humanity and worked as
an orientation leader.
As for her future plans, Christy wants to continue studying and
get a Ph.D. degree in the field of biopsychology.
