Hello! My name is Gabriella Fernandez, I am studying Biology with a pre-health track. If you ask anybody that knows me, they will tell you that science — particularly the Biological Sciences — is my passion. I believe that this love for biology stems partly from early my upbringing in Venezuela.

Venezuela is a country in northern South America, that is very ecologically diverse and is rich in various types of flora and fauna.  I think my exposure to the beauty and adventure nature has to offer is one of the driving forces of my affinity towards biology. This is the reason why despite the fact that I want to go to medical school and study neurology, I chose my major to be Biology pre-health instead of the more commonly chosen Biomedical Sciences major.

My favorite classes that I have taken so far are Immunology with Mr. Weigel and Clinical Neuroanatomy with Dr. Samsam. I love these classes because it is so intriguing to understand what is going on inside our bodies and learn what ailments they encounter as well as what precautionary steps we can take in order to keep them functioning in peak condition. I think it’s amazing that now I understand what is happening on a molecular level inside me when my immune system encounters a pathogen, or when my central nervous system processes a stimulus I received. That is why I advice any future STEM students to take a class on any subject they are interested in if they have the opportunity. That way they can know early on what truly empassions them. Encouraging future STEM majors to follow their dreams is the main reason as to why I decided to become a STEM ambassador. I believe that I was never hesitant to pursue a career in STEM because I was always told that it was a possibility; and this assurance is something that I want to pass on to other prospective STEM students that might have any doubts.

As surprising as it may sound, I do have other interests apart from science. On my free time, I like to let out any pent up energy by either playing violin, baking, or going to the Disney theme parks. Although, I always seem to find my way back to Biology.