Choryn Sundin SUU Valedictorian 2013 From: Santa Clara, Utah Major: Biology/Chemistry with Forensic Emphasis
Table of Contents 2-3 Student Feature Stories 4 Skaggs Naming Ceremony 5 CARAT & Academic Awards Night 6-9 Activity Highlights for the Year
Do you feel your experience and
Was there a professor or professor(s)
background here at SUU have prepared
that influenced you during your time here
you for success?
at SUU? In what ways?
Yes. At least for science classes we learn
A lot of professors helped make SUU a
skills that are needed by those in our
good experience for me. Each class was
field such as pipetting, extractions, PCR,
different and I could say good things
how to use different instruments, how
about all of them. The chemistry and
to do research, etc. I did an internship
biology professors have a pretty good
at the Southern Utah Crime Lab which is
sense of humor and are personable. I
found on campus. There I experimented
liked that I got to know the professors
with various fingerprint development
fairly well and because of this it was
techniques and added FT-IR samples
easier to ask for their help with the
to their database. I double-majored and
material, or finding internships, or
was able to complete this in the regular
experiment ideas.
4-year time frame.
10 The Latest in our Integrated Engineering Program 11 Staff Achievements & Graduation 12 Faulty Awards and Special Recognition 13-15 Faculty Scholarly Publications & Presentations
What was a typical day like for you as a Why did you choose your major(s) as
student?
opposed to other majors within the
Wake up early, get ready, study a little
College of Science and Engineering?
(I study better in the mornings), go to
I LOVE chemistry. I also enjoy biology,
classes, study some more, have dinner,
mainly the genetics part. Both majors had
relax (with a big bowl of ice cream) and
a lot of the same classes so I thought,
go to bed.
why not do them both? The subject matter of the other majors in the college
Would you recommend studying a field in
doesn’t interest me as much so I didn’t
the sciences and engineering to women?
pursue them.
If so, why? Definitely. I think sciences are becoming
Was there anyone in your life that
more popular to women despite the old
influenced you to pursue the field you
stereotype that science and math are
YES!
I would recommend [SUU], and I have.
are pursuing?
more “guy subjects.”
I chose my majors
From classes I’ve been in, women can
because I really
do just as well as the men, no matter the
enjoy the material.
subject. A lot of the material isn’t as hard
But, I have had a
as it seems, all you need to be successful
lot experience with
is to enjoy what your are learning.
science my whole
Because there are less women in science
life since my dad
it also makes it easier to get into grad
is a high school
school or find scholarships.
chemistry teacher. PAGE
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