As the end of each semester nears, a group of particularly remarkable students gathers with family and friends in the ballrooms at the Joe Crowley Student Union. These students, the Westfall Scholars, are at the top of their class and excel both inside and outside of the classroom.

The award is named for the founding dean of the College of Science, David Westfall. The luncheon was held on April 13 with Westfall Scholars surrounded by family, friends and supportive faculty. Each of the Westfall Scholars shared their post-graduation plans, advice for incoming college freshmen and where they see themselves in 15 years.

Konnor Kost

What are your plans after graduating?

My plans for after graduation are to take a gap year before medical school. I ultimately want to become a doctor in the long run, but I am applying this year. In the year off, I will be working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and helping teach anatomy labs as well.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

My most important piece of advice to an incoming freshman is learn how to manage your time well. The key is to know when assignments are due and when tests are in the first few weeks, and to hold yourself accountable on what you want to accomplish. If you set goals at the beginning of the semester, you can work and see how you can achieve that throughout the semester. By having some sort of calendar, it makes it much easier to manage coursework and time overall.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years, I see myself as a doctor, in a field I am not sure of yet, working and helping people on a consistent basis. I hope to also have started a family by then and just be settled overall in my career and life.

Sarah Saxe

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduating, I will be attending medical school to become a doctor. I also plan to continue to volunteer and give back to my community, as that has been an integral part of my undergraduate experience.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

My best advice is to surround yourself with people who will push you to reach your goals, as I am incredibly grateful to my friends and family for doing this for me. I recommend picking the classes and activities that you are going to be most passionate about. College is not always easy, so it is important that you enjoy what you are doing and learning. Mastering how to balance your academics, extracurriculars, and social life will allow you to do anything and everything you want during your college years.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years, I see myself working as a physician who serves my community, as a pediatrician or pediatric subspecialist. I hope to continue to learn and grow through my career path and other life experiences so that I can become the best version of myself. I also hope to start my own family.

Nicole Choma

What are your plans after graduating?

Immediately after graduation, I will continue the research from my undergraduate thesis. After this time, I plan to transition to working as a post-baccalaureate assistant researcher in a pinniped behavioral ecology laboratory. I then hope to enter graduate school, obtain a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and center my graduate research on pinniped physiological and behavioral ecology.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

My advice to incoming freshmen is to find activities that are not related to your major. Participating in something unrelated to your degree that brings you joy will give you mental breaks and make it easier to get through years of classes. For me, that was marching band. I would go and forget about my classes for 6 hours a week and enjoy making music.

I’d also recommend putting yourself out there to try new things. I sang in choir in middle and high school but missed singing so I took voice lessons at UNR, which was such a fun and rewarding experience. College has so many things to participate in, so make sure to take advantage of that.

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

In 15 years, I hope to be working as an assistant research professor in a physiological and behavioral ecology laboratory and teaching biology classes to undergraduates.

Tiffany Lee

What are your plans after graduating?

I am taking a gap year post-graduation. My family and I are organizing a trip to Vietnam to see my dad's hometown- Saigon or present-day Ho Chi Minh City. I've never been there despite my dad regularly communicating with his cousins who still live in Ho Chi Minh City, so I'm excited to see the place where he grew up. My two good friends and I are also planning a vacation to Disneyland next spring, which I have not returned to since elementary school. A more long-term goal of mine is medical school acceptance.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

The most important piece of advice I could give incoming college freshmen is to prepare early and pace yourself accordingly. Although I am happy with my college experience overall, I've had moments of regret because I passed up on a fair amount of opportunities, thinking that because they could resurface and present themselves to me in the near future, I can push them off until later. College flew by quicker than I realized, and had I pursued some of these opportunities earlier, I know I could have paced myself better.

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

In fifteen years, it's hard to say where anyone will be, but hopefully by then, I will have finished my formal education, applying that knowledge to a career in medicine that I will continue to love and find fascinating. I don't have plans on starting my own family, but I would love to spend more time with the family I have now, whether it be back in Vegas where I'm originally from or overseas.

Ryan Nolan

What are your plans after graduating?

My time at the University of Nevada, Reno has allowed me to grow in an environment that brings the best out of me. I’m excited and honored to remain a part of this community as I start my journey at UNR Med in Fall 2023.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Escape your comfort zone and keep an open mind. In college, there will be plenty of opportunities to develop lasting friendships and relationships, get involved with your community, and for you to find your passions, but you have to be willing to put yourself out there–college will be over in the blink of an eye, make the most out of it. Most importantly, find yourself mentors and role models who push you past what you thought you were capable of, not just inside the classroom, but in other aspects of your life as well.

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

In 15 years, I see myself as a physician practicing in a specialty I am passionate about. I hope to serve my community and make a difference in the lives of many.

Gary Nguyen

What are your plans after graduating?

I will be attending UNR’s school of medicine and be studying to earn my MD!

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Be patient with yourself. Going to college can be a huge life adjustment - more Freedom, new extracurriculars, new friends, new experiences, and more responsibility. It can all be pretty overwhelming, so don’t feel the need to adjust or figure everything out right away…no one knows exactly what they’re doing the first time they step foot on a college campus. You might make a few mistakes throughout your college experience, whether it be academically or socially related, but you can use those as learning experiencing.

Another major thing I learned is to enjoy myself. Yes academics are important, especially in STEM related professions. But there’s always going to be another assignment due or a test to study for, so make sure to take a break when you can. Go on that fun trip to Sacramento with your friends on a random Thursday afternoon or go to Lake Tahoe on a Tuesday whim.

And most of all, cherish all the good memories you’re going to make!

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

I’m not sure of which medical specialty I’ll be choosing yet, but I hope to be living out my dreams of being a physician in whatever specialty makes me happy and fulfilled.

Sarah Pentek

What are your plans after graduating?

Following graduation, I am considering several avenues of pursuit. After a short break, I will be seeking a position in a laboratory setting to utilize the skills I have acquired at UNR while deciding which post-graduate program might help me further my career and personal goals.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

It is difficult to pick just one piece of advice, but here are a few: take classes on subjects that genuinely interest you, try your best not to procrastinate, sit near the front of the class so that you can focus on the course content during lectures, and prioritize getting enough sleep.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years, I hope to have a family and live a happy and balanced life doing something I am passionate about in the scientific field.

Patrick Voss

What are your plans after graduating?

I'm thinking about applying to medical school in the next year or two.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

There is not a moment of my college career that I don't regret, all because I made excuses and didn't leave my comfort zone. Don't do that.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years I hope to be living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Hannah Prins

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduation I will be returning as an intern for the WCHD vector program to do mosquito abatement for the summer. After that I hope to do some traveling before returning to graduate school.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

My advice to incoming freshman is to just have fun and enjoy the experience because college is a privilege. It’s up to you what you get out of your college experience so just find what works for you in balancing school, social life and other responsibilities.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

I am not much for planning as I like to see where life takes me but I see myself being a ranger in a National Park or doing wildlife biology and conservation work. Hopefully mountain biking and camping as much I can.

Macy Hopping

What are your plans after graduating?

I will be continuing my education at the University of Nevada, Reno to attain my PhD in chemistry. I hope to do research within topics of inorganic or environmental chemistry and continue my position as a teaching assistant for chemistry labs on campus.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

I encourage everyone entering college to be open to change. I was very resistant to change and that held me back in a lot of ways during my first years in college, like making friends or finding new interests. It is called growth, and it's necessary! It can be difficult to move outside your comfort zone, so actively check in with yourself during all these changes and take care of your mental health. You have so many new opportunities that you didn’t have before and now is the time to explore who you are.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In terms of my career, I hope to become a teaching professor and academic advisor in the department of chemistry at some university. Through this position, I will strive to make chemistry accessible for all and fight the stigma that chemistry is ‘too hard’. Otherwise, I plan to keep up my hobbies of crocheting and cross stitching and giving them as gifts to the people I love.

Ann Everest

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduation, I plan on taking a gap year to do some exploring. Then I hope to pursue a graduate degree studying structural geology using geophysical methods.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Schedule meetings with your professors! You have the opportunity to talk to some brilliant and inspiring people who genuinely want to see you succeed, so take advantage of it. I have never had a bad experience meeting with a professor.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

While I don’t have a specific vision for what I will be doing in fifteen years, I hope the time and experiences I gain will allow for plenty of personal growth. Additionally, I hope I will have built upon the foundations of my undergraduate education to become more knowledgeable about the geological sciences.

Lea Gifford

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation I would like to find employment in a city’s planning department. I want to gain work experience before I go on for a Master’s in Urban Planning.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

You have an opportunity to meet all kinds of people with their own unique backgrounds, experiences and knowledge. You should get to know as many professors, students and staff as possible both inside and outside of your department. You never know who will be able to help you achieve your goals during and after college or how you might be able to help someone else so every connection you can make is worthwhile.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years I hope that I will have completed my Master’s and had the opportunity to work on planning projects in a large city. I hope that my work will help make a city more accessible for people with disabilities like myself while also moving that city towards a more sustainable future.

Jimson Huang

What are your plans after graduating?

I plan on continuing my post-secondary education by pursuing a Ph.D in computer science with research emphasis in machine learning, big data, and statistical learning methods.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Never be afraid to seek help. Whether that's talking to your professors, TAs, fellow students, or utilizing the vast on-campus resources such as the Math Center, Writing Center, Tutoring Center etc. At the same time, step out of your comfort zone and enjoy your time in college, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

It's hard to say at this point where I will be in 15 years. But I hope to be able to pursue a career as an industry researcher specializing in machine learning, while at the same time having a good work-life balance and pursuing my hobbies.

Ashna Prabhu

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduation, I plan on taking a gap year to work on my medical school applications and to gain further experience in conducting medical research.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming freshman?

Find a good balance/ integration between your academic life and personal life. School can get stressful and feel overwhelming when you have so many things to do in so little time. Practice self care early on in your college career and make sure to indulge in enjoyable activities throughout the week to prevent feelings of burnout.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

On a professional level, I hope to be a practicing physician in a specialty where I am able to learn new skills needed to pursue novel challenges and opportunities. On a more personal level, I hope to have had opportunities to travel to new places to experience new cultures and gain a broader perspective on the world. I also hope to have a good work- life balance with ample opportunities to spend quality time with my loved ones.

Jared Rutherford

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduation, I plan to take a year and gain additional research experience before applying to a Ph.D. program in neuropharmacology. I will also be substitute teaching and working to assist students and teachers in low-income communities.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Be unapologetically yourself! At the beginning of college, I was extremely worried about “fitting-in” or about how others would perceive me. I became caught up in the opinions of others and felt as if I didn’t really know myself. Be yourself and you will attract people that value you and use college as the opportunity to find out who you are.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In 15 years, I see myself working in a research lab developing pharmaceuticals for various cognitive or neural deficits, in addition to teaching at a university. I hope to be able to work in the field of neuropharmacology and continue my passion for teaching and influencing students.

Talaya Flicop

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

Directly after graduation, I will be moving to Japan to work as an assistant English teacher as a part of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program. I will be doing that for a handful of years, but I am planning to eventually move on to graduate school and pursue a career in social science research (with a particular interest in cross-cultural studies).

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

The advice that I would give to an incoming freshman (including my own freshman self) is to try out a whole bunch of everything. Classes, hobbies, friend groups, foods, etc. If you know what works for you, that's great! However, college is a wonderful opportunity to shake up the routine that you've lived in up until that point. You might discover an affinity, skill, or interest that you hadn't thoroughly explored before.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

It's hard to say exactly where I'll be in fifteen years. I'm leaving some wiggle room for life to just happen. However, I see myself continuously learning, creating, and forming connections. I hope to have traveled to many different countries and collaborated with professionals in a variety of fields. Perhaps I will have settled into a home of some kind and adopted a pet (or two).

Catrina Aglubat

What are your plans after graduating?

Starting this summer, I will be working as a research assistant in the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School. During my time there, I will also be preparing to apply to doctoral programs in clinical psychology.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

It’s completely alright to not have everything figured out right now, or to change your mind! Many of us feel pressured to have a career path chosen and our whole future planned out by the time we start college – that’s unrealistic in most cases, and can cause a lot of misery if you realize the path you chose initially isn’t a good fit. Try to get some related job, internship, or shadowing experience sooner rather than later so you can get a sense of what feels right, but don’t get discouraged if you have to step away and seek something new. You’re going to end up where you’re meant to be!

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

Fifteen years from now, I envision myself being a clinical psychologist, both a practitioner and researcher, determining which therapeutic interventions are most effective and then implementing them. I hope by then I’ll also have contributed to making mental healthcare more accessible to marginalized or underserved populations, which is a cause I am very passionate about. Outside of work, I hope to have lots of time to devote to family and pets, traveling, and visits to the local library.

Sixtine Piccard

What are your plans after graduating?

Plans after graduation are evolving every day! As of now, I am planning to work for the next 3 years. I am in the process of completing my OPT (optional practical training), which allows international students to work in the US. After this, we’ll see if I either attend graduate school or go back to France!

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

I would say to take everything as an opportunity. You are going to have a lot of chances, but everything will depend on how you approach and react to it. One piece of advice I believe is important is to find your people—friends that will challenge you, comfort you, and support you throughout your college years. Don’t be afraid of failures or successes; everybody goes through them; it is how you grow and bloom. I would also encourage people to be curious in and outside the class.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

I see myself working in research to find cancer treatments with stem cells. Or maybe something completely different!

Viivi Hamalainen

What are your plans after graduating?

My plan after graduation is to move to Tanzania and volunteer for a women’s empowerment organization for a year. After that I will apply to graduate programs for Psychology.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

The most important piece of advice I would give to an incoming college freshman is to get involved as much as possible with an open mind. Exploring things outside of one’s comfort zone may lead to a discovery of a new lifelong passion and/or a relationship.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

In fifteen years, I see myself living a fulfilled life utilizing skills I learned during my time at the University of Nevada. Additionally, I hope I will have continued to expand on my passion for social justice issues and human rights as well as earned my master’s degree.

Michael Larsen

What are your plans after graduating?

I plan to continue my education by pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Nevada, Reno, starting in Fall 2023.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?

Find balance between curricular and extracurricular activity. Try new things and meet new people. Also do not be afraid to reach out to your fellow students, professors, or other faculty if you need help academically or personally.

Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?

I aspire to have a job as either a physics professor or researcher. I hope to continue my research in the Astrophysics field or start research in Nuclear Physics. Additionally, I hope that I will be able to find time for my hobbies that I enjoy like solving Rubik’s cubes and rock climbing.