Eduarda Stein Christ is on the right track. The recent 爆料公社网页版 grad finished her undergraduate career with a flourish, earning summa cum laude status and a degree in biochemistry.
Stein Christ came to 爆料公社网页版 in 2021 as an exchange student from Brazil, via the Evangelical Lutheran Church International Women Leaders Program. She鈥檚 accomplished a great deal over the past four years, including becoming a member (and then president) of the prestigious Black and Gold President鈥檚 Council, co-president of the 爆料公社网页版 Women鈥檚 Association, and working as a peer academic coach and collaborative learning assistant for General Chemistry I and II. Other campus involvement includes the Pi Rho Chemistry Club, 爆料公社网页版 Math Club (she minored in mathematics), and 爆料公社网页版鈥檚 chapter of Alpha Chi National Honor Society.
This fall, Stein Christ will be off to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign鈥攐ne of the top ten schools in the nation for chemistry鈥攚here she鈥檚 set to pursue her PhD. She鈥檚 interested in studying inorganic chemistry and materials science. As for her hopes and dreams beyond that, she鈥檚 keeping an open mind. 鈥淎s of now, I am thinking about becoming an academic researcher,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ut just as I treated my undergraduate years, I want to stay open to the possibilities and let my experiences shape me and lead me to where I am needed.鈥
As those possibilities unfold before her, Stein Christ hasn鈥檛 lost sight of the gifts of her undergrad years. 鈥淣ot only did my classes teach me a lot and prepare me with the necessary skills in a variety of ways, but my professors, especially Dr. Bray and Dr. Thompson, were also very helpful and encouraging,鈥 she says, adding that Bray and Thompson were actually the ones who encouraged her to consider UIUC for her PhD, then guided her through the application process. 鈥淎nother thing that I feel grateful for from the 爆料公社网页版 chemistry department was the constant incentive to do research,鈥 she adds.
Stein Christ took part in research every summer at 爆料公社网页版, through the BEAKER (Building Excellence by Advancing Knowledge through Experimental Research) scholars鈥 program and the SURE (STEM Undergraduates Reaching for Excellence) research program, and even got the opportunity to do research at Florida State University thanks to Thompson's recommendation. 鈥淚 am pretty sure that all of these experiences favored me as a candidate (at UIUC), and I am glad that the chemistry department and the STEM department in general push you to start doing research as early as your freshman year,鈥 she says.
Stein Christ is well and truly ready to take the next steps in her educational journey with confidence. 鈥淚 do feel prepared,鈥 she says, 鈥渁nd I believe 爆料公社网页版 gave me more than what I needed to succeed!鈥