Maggie Thom

“I chose Carthage because it felt like the right fit. The academics and athletics are what I was looking for. I wanted to go somewhere with small class sizes so I could get to know my professors and classmates. The lake is also a big plus!”

“The faculty here has helped me find opportunities I didn’t know were available. Having a good relationship with your professors will only benefit you. I have gotten involved in research just by reaching out to see if there were openings. Your professors want you to succeed and are always willing to help if you ask.”

“My favorite class has been Neuroscience Research Methods. For the lab, we are involved in the rat lab and get to help run experiments. We also work with brain tissue, which I thought was super cool!”

“My hardest class has been Genetics. It involves a lot of independent studying and information to grasp.”

“I am on the women’s soccer team. I am also the vice president of the Pre-Health Club and a member of the Neuroscience Club.”

“I am involved in research with Professor Sarah Terrill. We collect and stain tissue to look at different brain structures. This past January, I was able to go on the Honduras J-Term study tour. This was an amazing experience! We got to scuba dive for a week before going to Copan and learning about the history of the area.”

“I am the department fellow for the Neuroscience Department. One of my roles for this is to manage the rat lab. I make the schedule for the other student lab assistants, help prepare the lab for classes, and make chemical solutions.”

“I hope to go to graduate school to become a PA. I would love to work in emergency medicine!”

“My favorite spot is probably behind The Tower. We play sand volleyball and spike ball when it is nice outside, and there is always something going on. My favorite spot to study is the basement of the library.”

“Some of my favorite memories so far are with my friends. Last year, everyone would go to the beach once the weather got nice. There was one weekend that so many people from school went, and everyone was playing spike ball and enjoying the nice weather. A favorite moment of mine was when my teammate scored a goal with five seconds left to win a game. Our whole team was cheering and celebrating, and this is a very happy memory that I have.”

“The biggest surprise has been how much I have enjoyed some of my chemistry classes. I did not like chemistry in high school, but I really like the classes I have taken so far. The labs are also very interesting, and we get to do a lot of fun experiments.”

“I would recommend the neuroscience major to anyone who likes to do hands-on learning! We get to have classes in the rat lab and learn about research. Some advice would be to try and go outside your comfort zone. The lab is lots of fun and a great experience if you’re willing to put yourself out there!”

“My 8-year-old self would be a little surprised. I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, and after that, I wanted to be a dentist. I think my 8-year-old self would also think the stuff we do in the rat lab is super cool.”

“Yes, I received the Carthage Highest Honors Award. Receiving this scholarship was a big deal for me, as it was part of what made college more affordable.”