I discovered a psychology textbook in the sixth grade and decided it was what I wanted to do because psychology explains everything about the world. If you can understand human nature, how one individual reacts, you can better understand the whole system. As far as math, I can do it, so I might as well, and it goes nicely with psychology because of statistical modeling.

The best class that I've taken so far at Miami has been social psychology—the study of how people in groups interact—covering things like conformity, obedience, and persuasion. It was held in a lecture hall with 120 students, and everyone was on the edge of their seats, everyday. The professor, Kurt Hugenberg, was a rare combination of entertaining and enlightening.

Another one of my favorite professors is Patrick Dowling, chair of the math department. In math, you have to be willing to get a problem wrong 20 times before you can get it right once. It's disheartening for those first 20 times, but Professor Dowling really encourages you to keep going. He makes you realize that what's beautiful is something that's done really well, whether that's an a capella performance, or a painting, or a math proof.

I work as an investigator in the lab of psychology professor, Dr. Joseph Johnson. He's a judgment and decision-making researcher. That's my favorite topic—why we like what we like; why we chose tuna versus egg salad for lunch, or why we chose to study journalism or anthropology.

Dr. Johnson has a National Science Foundation grant. I saw his name on a research paper and sat down with him during my freshman year and ended up working in his lab. Undergraduate research is so accessible here. I have friends at larger universities and Ivy League schools, and they can't get the funding that we can. This year, for instance, I won a doctoral undergraduate opportunity scholarship that paid for, among other things, a trip to St. Louis for a national conference for the Society of Judgement and Decision Making.

Outside of classes, I write for the student newspaper. I've written about everything from what's on President Hodge's desk to explaining the University's Strategic Priorities Task Force. I'm also involved in Habitat for Humanity and Scholar Leaders, a living learning community. I also have a band, called The Grounds. I play bass guitar and piano in it. To me, it's this diversity of experiences that I feel makes Miami worthwhile.