UConn made Eva Quigley a basketball fan, but it also gave her a newfound passion for nutritional sciences. She wants to pursue a career in medicine and plans to attend a post-baccalaureate program at UConn this fall to help her prepare to apply to medical school.

Why did you choose UConn?

Initially, UConn was not even on my list of schools to apply to, but I went on a tour right before applications were due, and it ended up being my favorite college tour that I had gone on, and I applied that night. UConn has such an endless array of resources and opportunities for students. Additionally, the Learning Community Program here stood out to me, and I was intrigued by the idea of living with students that all have a shared interest and passion.

What’s your major and why did you choose it?

I am a Nutritional Sciences major, and I switched into this program in toward the end of my sophomore year, because I had taken a few nutritional science courses as electives and found myself wanting to learn more about every facet of nutritional sciences.

I also decided that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but often times many medical school programs do not provide much nutrition instruction, so I wanted to ensure that I had a high nutrition competency going into this field. The professors within this department are also very well respected and experts in their field, and I was eager to take advantage of their expertise and learn as much as I could from them.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be entering UConn’s Pre-Medical and Health Professions Post-Baccalaureate Program next fall, and I am so excited! I decided my junior year that I was intent on pursuing a career in medicine but had not completed all of my prerequisites to enter medical school. This will provide me with the opportunity to complete those requirements and take classes that I did not have the opportunity to take during my undergraduate experience, such as Cell Biology and Biology of the Brain.

What activities were you involved with as a student?

Some of the activities I was involved in as a student include the Innovation House Learning Community, president of Nutrition Club, peer educator at UConn SHAPE, innovation chair of the Learning Community Executive Council, the Werth Innovator Program, undergraduate researcher at Levo Labs in the UConn School of Business, Senior Building Manager at the UConn Student Union, VentureWerx, CCEI Summer Fellowship, and grant communications specialist at UConn Extension.

How has UConn prepared you for the next chapter in life?

UConn prepared me for my next chapter in life, because I was able to explore every possible career and field that I was interested in, and I was given the resources I needed to succeed via centers on campus such as the Werth Institute, the Learning Community Program, and the Career Center.

What’s one thing that surprised you about UConn?

I was genuinely surprised by how beautiful campus is! When I first visited, I came on a rainy day and did not explore much, but after living here for four years I truly love campus and the surrounding areas! There are so many hiking trails, and Horsebarn Hill is also a beautiful place to explore.

Any advice for incoming first-year students?

My one piece of advice would be to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes your way. I was incredibly timid coming into my freshman year, but I stepped outside of my comfort zone and challenged myself by pursuing opportunities that I would not have pursued previously. Your four years are short here, so don’t wait until your junior or senior year to get involved and take advantage of all that UConn has to offer.

Who was your favorite professor and why?

I don’t have a favorite professor, but some of my favorite classes I took were Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism with Christopher Blesso, Hebrew with Sherry Shamash, Medical Nutrition Therapy II with Nancy Rodriguez, and The Entrepreneurial Journey with David Noble.

What’s one thing that will always make you think of UConn?

Basketball, of course. I was never a Basketball fan until I came here!