UROP Leader Information Submission: Submission #50

Please answer the question you selected above in the area provided. During my college decision process it was really important to me that I picked a school that allowed me to excel not only in my academics, but also explore my passions through enriching extracurricular opportunities. UROP was one of the most intriguing programs offered by any of the major universities that I was interested in, and the prospect of being able to immediately start participating in undergraduate research as early as my freshman year was ultimately one of the main reasons I chose to attend FSU. My participation in the program exceeded all expectations I had. During UROP, I was able to gain experience working on a project that combined both computer science and medical science, exposing me to interests I did not even know that I had. I was able to explore my interests outside of a normal classroom setting and ultimately ended up switching my major to Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences with a focus in Health Information Technology, the perfect intersection of technology and medical sciences. Within my first year of college, I became more confident in my ability to communicate professionally and made strong connections with other like-minded individuals and accomplished research faculty who supported me every step of the way. I have found my passion for research and interdisciplinary approaches to medical topics through my original start in UROP, and I am so grateful for all of the amazing opportunities I have been able to participate in with the knowledge and confidence that I gained from this program. As a UROP Leader, I now get to help other students explore their passions through participating in research and I strongly encourage anyone who in interested in research to apply.