Biology major Alejandra Marrero ’08 of Bronx, N.Y., says “the intense academic support provided by faculty” is what keeps her so passionate about her studies.  “St. Lawrence encourages students to be ‘well-rounded’ scholars and active advocates on campus,” she says.  As a junior, Ali has fulfilled many of her requirements for applying to medical school and hopes “to attend graduate school for public health and conduct biology-related research in order to have solid credentials to get into medical school,” she says.

Ali, a graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School, has had several opportunities to work with faculty in the biology department.  For her Forest Ecology of Southeast Asia course, she traveled to Malaysia with Aswini Pai, assistant professor of biology, and fellow students.  After her trip, she said, “I have become very passionate about traveling as much as I can.  After graduation, while exploring different countries and cultures, I hope to assist those less fortunate with aid provided by American charities and programs.”

This summer, Ali stayed on campus as a University Fellow and worked with Ana Estevez, assistant professor of biology, studying “the biological role of the TRP-1 calcium channels in C. elegans, a simple organism that provides great experimental advantages for studying diseases found in human beings,” she says.

Ali hopes to travel abroad again in the future, “because there is so much more to learn about people, cultures and sicknesses in other countries.”