For me, graduate school had always been one of those vague goals in life, like taking a trip across Europe, or trying bungee jumping someday. It wasn’t until I became involved with the Illini Algae Research Group that my passion for research and learning started to coalesce into something more concrete.

Not only did I gain some research experience, but Illini Algae gave me the chance to practice presenting information to various audiences, gleaning information from academic journals, and writing a research paper.

Now that I’m a junior in agricultural and biological engineering, I serve on the executive board of Illini Algae, helping undergraduates get into research and spreading the word of just how cool algae can be!