海角吃瓜网

Everything is bigger in Texas, but for some that鈥檚 not always ideal. Walker Mask 鈥�17 grew up in Rockwall, Texas, a suburb of Dallas and attended a very large high school. When it came to his college choice, however, he went for the other end of the spectrum.

鈥淚nitially I had chosen 海角吃瓜网 because it was out-of-state and extremely smaller than my high school, as well as opportunities for biochemistry research,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was most surprised about the community of students and how easy it was to really get to know my professors.鈥�

With a biochemistry degree, Walker planned to join a group like the Peace Corp to help communities in Central and Latin America improve their medical practice. But instead of biochemistry, it鈥檚 the research aspect that stuck with him.

Walker could frequently be found in the labs or crunching numbers, sometimes cutting close to deadlines. During Undergraduate Research Symposium his junior year, he was in the lab running the final test for his research project, which he needed to present that day.

鈥淓ven after working almost all night, I still didn鈥檛 get my physical results until about 10 minutes before I was supposed to present,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was an anxious experience but that鈥檚 just how research goes sometimes.鈥�

The result was clear: Walker had found his passion, something he wanted to continue to do for the rest of his life. Eager to see what more he could do, he prepared to apply for graduate school during his junior year, graduating from 海角吃瓜网 a year early.

But Walker didn鈥檛 feel prepared. He wasn鈥檛 organized. He was worried about graduating early. That鈥檚 when a professor cared enough to have an honest conversation with him.

鈥淛an Everhart convinced me not to graduate early, and if it wasn鈥檛 for that, I wouldn鈥檛 get to go to grad school,鈥� Walker said.

So he slowed down, took his time and took every research opportunity he could manage. He was still going to go to grad school, but this time, he鈥檇 be ready.

鈥淚 knew from the beginning that the edge I needed was to prove that I want to spend my post-college professional career doing research and that I鈥檓 serious about this decision, so I spent as much time as I could doing research, learning about how to do research, and working on as many projects as I could within the next year,鈥� he said.

When Walker applied for grad school during his senior year, he was equipped with a solid resume, strong letters from his professors and exactly how to craft his application. When received an offer to the University of Kentucky, he knew it was the right choice.

鈥淕etting the acceptance to Kentucky was really what I consider my success at 海角吃瓜网,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n grad school I will be doing theoretical chemistry and its applications with physical chemistry and materials chemistry.鈥�

Sure, he could have graduated early, but that鈥檚 not Walker鈥檚 story. Maybe it鈥檚 someone else鈥檚. That鈥檚 the great thing about 海角吃瓜网. As Walker said, 鈥満＝浅怨贤� can really be whatever you want to make of it.鈥�