Hello to all of you first-year students considering careers in health professions!
As you get yourself ready to prepare for your future application to a health professions program such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, and any other fields; you need to consider the different facets of your preparation and work on a plan.
To start begin setting goals related to the pre-requisite courses you need to complete alongside the courses for your major. To view a short video on the course selection for health professions go to: http://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/students/health/index.html
Here are some other goals you might want to consider:
Draft a tentative four-year plan for courses and include a study abroad experience if that is something you are hoping to incorporate into your educational experience and your future summer experiences
How do you plan to explore your health profession? Consider doing some research online but also starting to volunteer in a clinical setting that involves your health profession
How will you maintain balance in your life and stay healthy?
Plan on gaining some shadowing experiences to observe a provider interacting with patients on a day-to-day basis
Set goals for getting involved with community service here in Middletown
Join a student organization and engage within your campus community
Take advantage of the wonderful and diverse courses available to you
Build relationships with faculty and staff
Personal growth and becoming more resilient
Critical thinking, ethical responsibility, teamwork, cultural competence and scientific inquiry grounded in research
Engage in self-assessment along the way and set goals to comport yourself as a future pre-professional for the health career of your choice
Read the Health Professions Newsletter and attend as many HP Events as you can
Visit with the Health Professions Advisor at least once per semester
Preparing for the health professions is a long process and there are so many other goals I could list here but instead I encourage you to think about any goals you may have that are not listed and incorporate them into your plan
Once you set your goals, begin developing your action plan. As you move forward and have questions, please come see me. I would be happy to meet you and help in any way I can. Once you are on campus, you may set up an appointment on HandShake, or call our reception at (860) 685-2180 or just drop by the Gordon Career Center in Boger Hall (across from Usdan).
There will be an Overview of the Health Professions Coursework on July 27 and a Health Professions Overview for First Years during New Student Orientation (NSO) week. I will also be at the Academic Forum and will have 30-minute drop-in appointments for the first two week of classes. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you this fall!
The open curriculum affords every student the freedom to chart their own educational journey through Wesleyan. Because the curriculum is open, there are no required courses at Wesleyan other than the courses required to complete one’s major. Students are expected to pursue intellectual breadth and depth during their four-year course of study, but the open curriculum does not proscribe any set path to achieve this goal. Students are expected to find their own path.
So how do you navigate the open curriculum if there are no guideposts? How do you chart a path through the open curriculum if you don’t yet know where you’re going? This fall Wesleyan will be offering over a thousand courses in dozens of fields of study. How will you decide which ones you want to take?
Peter Gottschalk, Professor of Religion, and Tanesha Leathers, Dean for the Class of 2025, will be hosting an open conversation on how to chart a course through the open curriculum via Zoom on Thursday, July 29, from 11:00am—12:00pm EDT. If you would like to join this conversation, please sign up though this link (Wesleyan login required).
Taking a summer FYS? The Writing Workshop is here to support you! Make a virtual appointment between today and August 27 to meet with a trained peer writing tutor by clicking the “Writing Workshop Account” link under the “Academics” tab of WesPortal. Writing tutors come from all class years and majors and are excited to meet you wherever you are in your writing process, whether you’re working on an essay, a lab report, or anything else. You can expect your appointment to last 45 minutes and to look like a conversation: your tutor will help you address any goals or concerns you bring to your Zoom meeting.
If you’d like the inside scoop on writing at Wesleyan and breaking down the process of writing, come to our First-Year Writer’s Series every other Wednesday from 6-7pm EDT throughout the summer. Join us over Zoom (https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/9137042697) to meet Wesleyan faculty and students while picking up some new tools for your writing toolkit.
We want to build a writing community outside the expectations that come with assignments and grades–and we hope to see you there!
• Complete the ISO Registration Form by Thursday, July 15, 2021
• Follow us on Facebook to find biweekly releases of the My Wesleyan Journey video series
• Subscribe to the Wes and the Worldnewsletter to stay up to date on intercultural events and activities, study abroad, global opportunities, international updates, and more!
Starting later this summer, the Fries Center for Global Studies will send out the Wes and the World Newsletterevery other week. The newsletter features a wide range of global or international themed information and resources, such as intercultural events and programs, study abroad, global opportunities, language resources and opportunities, and international updates.
Past content that was published through the newsletter can be found on our blog. Here is the link to subscribe to the newsletter. For additional information and questions, please contact Zijia Guo, Global Marketing Specialist, at zguo@wesleyan.edu.
Hi everyone! My name is Darshana Banka and I am a rising senior at Wesleyan. I attended high school in Mumbai, India. I am a Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology double major. I am on the pre-medicine track. I have taken courses in Economics as well and I am interested in pursuing public health policy down the road. Outside of peer advising, I am a Research Assistant in a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry lab doing yeast genetics and the Wesleyan Media Project doing health media research. I am also a Peer Tutor through the Dean’s Peer Tutoring Program. Apart from these ventures, I am the Secretary of Shakti (South Asian Student Coalition), Project Coordinator of the Wesleyan Therapy Dogs, Clinic Escort at the Hartford GYN Center, Project Co-Director of AskWes, and Co-Founder of WeSanskriti (South Asian Classical Dance Team). Outside of campus life, I love to go hiking with my friends, travel, play the guitar, and cook. I am really excited to meet all of you in the fall either virtually or in person. If you have any questions about transition to college as an international student, academics, or simply just want to chat about life at Wesleyan, please feel free to reach out to me at dbanka@wesleyen.edu.
Belle Brown 2022 (Spring 2021)
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Hi everyone! My name is Belle Brown and I’m part of the class of 2022, majoring in Government and Environmental Studies, with a minor in African American Studies. My hometown is Arlington, Virginia and I transferred to Wes as a sophomore from Emory University, so I’m here for you if you have any transfer related questions. Besides being a Peer Advisor, I’m also on the track team, work at Long Lane Farm, perform stand-up comedy with Awkward Silence, and am a member of WesACLU. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors and cooking for my friends. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at bbrown03@wesleyan.edu with any questions or concerns you might have (again, especially about transferring!) or just to chat. Looking forward to getting to know you. Go Wes!
Cyann Byfield 2023
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Hello everyone! My name is Cyann Byfield and I am a rising junior here at Wesleyan. My pronouns are she/her and I’m from Brooklyn, New York, and went to high school in the Financial District of Manhattan. I am a Sociology major and an African American Studies minor but I also enjoy taking American Government courses as frequently as possible. Currently, I am an Orientation Leader for New Student Orientation, and I’m a part of “Kalalu” the Caribbean dance team, which of one of the many dance teams on campus here at Wesleyan. I am also a member of the Women of Color collective, the Caribbean Student Association, and pre-pandemic I was an overnight host for prospective students. I am also a Prep for Prep alum which is a rigorous academic program for students of color in New York City, therefore I have years of experience in effectively completing intense academic work. One of my favorite things about Wesleyan is our campus, there’s nothing I love more than going for walks with my friends or just relaxing on Foss Hill. Other than being a full-time student at Wes, I love to do hair and makeup and I also love to cook and bake. Feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions or just need to chat cbyfield@wesleyan.edu!
Perri Easley 2023
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Hey everybody! My name is Perri Easley, I am currently a rising junior at Wesleyan, and I am from Denville, New Jersey. At Wesleyan, I am an American Studies, French Studies Double Major with a minor in Film. I hope to pursue a career in media or politics soon. Outside of career advising, I am the Communications Assistant for the Fries Center for Global Studies. I also serve as one of the co-presidents of Wesleyan’s chapter of Active Minds, one of the nation’s leading mental health advocacy and awareness organizations, and a Board member of Wesleyan’s SOC Fashion Show committee. Aside from these commitments, I am very active in civic and community engagement efforts outside of the classroom, volunteering for several political campaigns and being affiliated with organizations like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Headcount, and Empower the Village. In my free time, I love spending time with friends and binge-watching TV shows. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about academic peer advising, Wesleyan, or life in general. You can reach me at peasley@wesleyan.edu.
Amy Guaman 2022
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Hi everyone! My name is Amy Guaman, I am a rising senior from Queens, NYC and I am super excited to meet you all! I was born and raised in a diverse and vibrant city and still live there to this day, so as a Latina 🇪🇨 in NYC I never really felt like a “minority.” It was only when I came to Wesleyan that I began to feel like a minority and began to juggle the difficulties of imposter syndrome. It can be very difficult to face the day-to-day challenges that come with attending any university, especially as a student of color. That is why I am a huge advocate for therapy and other mental health resources. Wesleyan is amazing at offering various mental health outlets outside of therapy, such as workshops with CAPS, therapy dogs during finals week and even a mindfulness course that you can find on WesMaps. If you have any questions about these resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I would love to discuss them with you. And if you haven’t already guessed it, I am a psychology major, but I have also enjoyed taking several courses outside of my discipline such as in neuroscience, Italian and data science. I am also a member of WesRugby, the Basal Gang (Neuroscience Club), a Peer Tutor through the Dean’s Peer Tutoring Program and I have been a Peer Health Advocate for the Class of 2023. During my free time, I enjoy cooking, being outdoors, listening to music on the highest possible volume and traveling! I have enjoyed sharing a little about me, but I would love to hear about you! Please don’t hesitate to email me at aguaman@wesleyan.edu with any questions, concerns or just to chat. I am here as a resource for you, every question is important so please ask it and I look forward to meeting you all soon!
Tucker Kelsch 2022
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Hi! My name is Tucker Kelsch, and I am a rising Senior at Wes. I am a Government and Environmental Studies double major, but have been lucky enough to take advantage of the wide range of classes Wesleyan has to offer; some of my favorites are in Philosophy, Music, and the Natural Sciences. On campus, I am a member of the Men’s Soccer Team as well as a team representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and know about the importance of time management while navigating an active lifestyle. Beyond athletics, I am an active member of WesBuds, a student group that partners with IDD (Intellectually or Developmentally Disabled) students in Middletown, as well as a volunteer tutor with the Wesleyan University Middle School Tutoring Project. I’ve also found exciting extracurricular opportunities outside of Wesleyan, like my current role interning with the Arlington County Public Defender’s Office. I am excited to meet everyone this fall, and eager to become a resource to all who need it. Shout me out on campus, or shoot me an email tkelsch@wesleyan.edu if you’d like to connect!
Anya Kisicki 2022
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Hi! My name is Anya Kisicki (she/her) and I’m a rising senior at Wesleyan. I hail from Phoenix, Arizona and I am double majoring in Government and in the College of Letters, a three-year multidisciplinary program that merges the studies of history, literature, and philosophy. I am also pursuing a minor in Film Studies. Outside of Peer Advising, I work at Wesleyan’s Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development to help plan student events on campus. You can also find me taking orders at the on-campus restaurant, WesWings, on Pocotopaug Lake with the Sailing Team, or in the 92 Theatre designing the lights for student-run theatre productions. Additionally, I am currently working to build a new campus group that focuses on creating space for non-cis males (womxn) interested in Film to network and hold campus-wide events. I am here as a resource for you, so if you have any questions at all about adjusting to life at Wesleyan, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing me at akisicki@wesleyan.edu! I look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Quentin Tan 2022
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Hi! My name is Quentin Tan and I am a rising senior from Penang, Malaysia. I am currently the only College of Letters and College and East Asian Studies double major student at Wesleyan – and quite possibly the first Cardinal to do so – so I am no stranger to unorthodox but all the more rewarding academic explorations! I studied abroad my sophomore spring in Osaka, Japan and stumbled upon the outbreak of COVID-19 – making what is already a challenging academic experience in itself even more so! On campus, I am a Writing Mentor for the Writing Workshop (an amazing resource for students which I could not possibly recommend more highly) and a copy editor for the Wesleyan Argus. Occasionally, you may also find me grooving as a pianist in a number of Second Stage musical productions. I am a great fan of reading books from all around the world – Camus’ The Plague being one of my recent favorites – and Japanese literature, especially, is my ice cream at 3 a.m., so I would love to have tea and talk about recent reads with you! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at htan03@wesleyan.edu, and I look forward to working with you in the fall!
Maya Verghese 2023
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Hi! My name is Maya Verghese and I’m from Hamden, CT. I am a rising junior majoring in Psychology and Government with a minor in Education Studies. Most of my free time is spent working as the Financial Manager of the Wesleyan Argus and leading the Event Experience team for TEDxWesleyanU. I’m also a member of the Psychology Majors Committee and was a teaching assistant for introductory psychology. My path through Wesleyan, both academically and in terms of extracurriculars, has not always been clear. I’ve taken everything from Planetary Geology to Dance History, served on the WSA for a semester, worked for Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven, and developed Argus finances for a few years. I’ve absorbed and learned so much and am happy to share my experiences and advice (as well as talk through anything that’s weighing on your mind). I have many demanding jobs and responsibilities on campus. It took a lot of practice, so definitely reach out if you need any help organizing yourself and finding the right balance. I have a deep love for the intersection between psychology, public health, and international politics—finding joy in the crazy connections between seemingly distant disciplines. During the summers between school, I interned for a lab developing apps for people struggling with their mental health, worked with a professor to maintain enormous networks of social psychology resources, and helped with an online preschool for children of recent immigrants and refugees during the lockdown. Finding these opportunities was an adventure, and I’m happy to talk about the campus resources I’ve used and my experiences applying for jobs. In general, I’m here to help you make the most of Wesleyan’s resources (some hidden in plain sight), talk through problems, and find solutions. I’m always here to listen and make sure that you never feel overwhelmed or lost. You have people looking out for you! Never hesitate to reach out to me at mverghese@wesleyan.edu. Looking forward to meeting you!!
Andi Wiley 2022
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Hi! My name is Andi Wiley and I am from Alameda, CA. I am a rising senior here at Wesleyan, class of 2022, double majoring in Economics and Psychology with a Writing Certificate. Initially, I was not sure what I wanted to study, so I explored many subjects taking full advantage of the wide variety of classes that Wes has to offer. In addition to peer advising, I am also a peer tutor on campus as well as a volunteer tutor for Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education, which is a program that extends the Wesleyan community and resources to offer incarcerated individuals the opportunity to receive college credit. I am also passionate and actively involved with WesBuds, a student group partnership with the Middlesex Transition Academy (MTA), a school for students 18-22 with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Beyond academics, I am on the Wesleyan Women’s Soccer team, which has challenged my time management and organizational skills. Further, as a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, I understand the importance in balancing busy athletic schedules and rigorous academics. I am more than happy to answer questions, concerns, or to simply get to know you, so please reach out to me at anwiley@wesleyan.edu. Very much looking forward to the fall and meeting you all!
Additionally, the Peer Technology Specialists are available to meet with students to provide technology consultations and training on the numerous digital tools and technologies available to Wesleyan students, which can increase productivity and learning. Students who believe that they would benefit from academic support, are interested in learning more about the digital tools available, or have questions about Wesleyan’s academic resources, are encouraged to contact SAR anytime!
Wesleyan considers study abroad to be an essential part of a liberal arts education for students majoring in any subject. And while we are uncertain as to all of the programs that may be available at the time you may wish to go abroad for academic study, you still have an opportunity to plan based on your current interests. It might seem really far off, but many of the non-English speaking programs require 2 or more years of language, so if you want to go abroad during junior year, you should consider taking the language for the country you want to study in your first year.
