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.
