You are majoring in Biomedical Engineering with minors in Philosophy and Mechanical Engineering. How do you find the time to compete?
My minors have actually fit into my schedule really well since I had some credits from high school that I used to place out of courses here at Rochester. I have been a research assistant in a lab working for Dr. Lerner for about two years, though, which is definitely time consuming but extremely rewarding. I really enjoy having a structured schedule so I make sure to plan ahead to fit in time for lab work between academics and athletics!
 
It's been said that the busier a person is, the more organized they are. Can you discuss that as it pertains to you academically and athletically?
That definitely applies to me! I tend to procrastinate if I know I have more time to get things done, so hockey- especially when we're typically traveling for games- helps me stay on top of my school work. Our team is also very academically oriented. It helps to be surrounded with like-minded people.
 
What drew you to Biomedical Engineering as a major?
I've always been really interested in medical devices and felt that BME was a discipline where a lot of my interests overlapped. I liked the design component as well as the medical component and the way devices can improve the quality of people's lives.
 
How do your minors – Philosophy and Mechanical Engineering –fit?
I love the way my minors complement my biomedical engineering coursework. It made sense for me to pursue a minor in Mechanical Engineering because my BME concentration is Biomechanics, and they both overlap quite a bit. As far as philosophy goes, I'm very interested in ethics so I've taken courses like Contemporary Moral Problems and Ethical Decisions in Medicine. These philosophy courses have given me a unique and valuable perspective that are actually very relevant to my major.
 
Coach Andreatta said you took the leadership course taught by Coach Apple and adopted some of the principles. What were some of the takeaways you had from that course?
The Leadership Experience was a very rewarding class and it helped me recognize my leadership style and my purpose. Some takeaways that resonated with me were that leadership is an evolving process, and there are a variety of leadership styles which are effective. Before I took the class I had this misconception that good leadership was one kind of entity with a specific set of traits and behaviors, but leadership isn't necessarily A, B, and C- leadership can also be X, Y, and Z. People who lead by example rather than vocally can also be extremely effective - and in some situations, leaders have to adapt to the needs of the group.
 
How did you apply them to your off-the-field role with the team?
The course helped me find my identity and recognize that my leadership style is leading by example, and enabling others to act through supporting and motivating individual players. I would say my leadership style and the way I apply my knowledge from the course are really similar in both on and off-the field settings.
 
When the pandemic spread and the spring semester was completed remotely, what were the biggest challenges you had? There were no practice sessions?
It was pretty difficult to get into a routine and adjust to sitting at the same desk all day, but I'm really fortunate that I'm close with my family and had the resources I needed at home to complete the semester remotely. Unfortunately we were weren't able to start our spring season with the coaches, but we stayed in touch through Zoom and started reaching out to the incoming class to get to know everyone while we were staying safe at home!
 
How have the first-years adopted to the team and the college experience itself?
We definitely have a talented group of first-years, and there are a lot of them! Our preseason was a bit unusual due to small group practices because of COVID-19, so unfortunately we're not used to being together as much. But, we just had our first scrimmage which was a lot of fun, so I'm really excited to see how the team works together because we have a great group of players!
 
Who were upperclass players who helped you when you first arrived on campus?
I went to high school with Nancy Bansbach where we were close friends, so I constantly asked her questions about Biomedical Engineering, research, and about campus life in general. The upperclassmen were all very welcoming and made me feel like a part of the team as soon as I arrived.
 
When did you start to play field hockey? What got you interested?
I actually didn't start playing field hockey until 7^th grade since there weren't many opportunities in my area at the time to start playing very young. One of my nanny's played field hockey in high school and introduced it to me, so I tried out for the team with some friends and fell in love with it immediately. I loved the pace of the game, the strategic aspect, and how team-oriented it was.
 
Which courses have you taken previously that you've really enjoyed?
I absolutely love learning so I usually enjoy all of my classes. One of my favorite courses was Human Anatomy, which was taught by Dr. Gdowski who was really engaging and made the course even more interesting. I also enjoyed Contemporary Moral Problems, Fluid Dynamics, and Biomaterials.
 
What are you taking this semester that is interesting?
I'm enjoying all my courses this semester. Some are an integral part of my major like Senior Design Seminar and I also find Biosolid Mechanics very interesting because it overlaps with a lot of the work I'm doing in my research lab. My Social and Political Philosophy course has also been very impactful- we're discussing the relationship between freedom and equality in a society, which is extremely relevant and important in thinking about the structure of our society today.
 
What are your goals following graduation?
I'm planning on applying to Masters and PhD programs in Biomedical Engineering for next fall. I'm especially interested in macro-scale biomechanics and I've enjoyed finite element modeling in my research lab. I hope to learn more about medical device innovation and apply that knowledge toward the development of products to improve the quality of peoples' lives. My research involvement studying the cornea and meniscus have enriched my undergrad experience here at Rochester, so I'm excited to continue learning in a graduate program next fall.