Celebrating the LSS Generation 2021-2022!
I think LASP was helpful for making friends since we all live in the same building. I’ve met incredible people that are in LSS and other sections of LASP. While living in suites was a benefit of LASP, I have enjoyed the LSS CURE lab a lot as the STEM identity activities have gotten me searching for potential future research opportunities and internships. I was able to find an interesting lab at Larner that even if I’m not eligible now, I could work in as a medical student. I feel that my love for medicine has been reaffirmed. This class also taught me how to better read a research paper which is a big part of being a science major. Thank you Dr. May-Collado for helping me develop research and scientific reading skills while sharing your love of science and animals!
by Alisse Quick
by Alisse Quick
I am very thankful that I got a chance to do LASP this year! I think it had a big impact on my experience of being a freshman at UVM. One of the most important parts for me, was living with people who I was also taking classes with. This made my community feel a lot smaller and helped me find some amazing friends. Having friends in my classes with me also meant that I had people I could turn to for help with assignments or studying. Our environment of helping each other was also something I really valued.I think that being surrounded by people who had ambitious career goals and are truly passionate about biology, zoology, and neuroscience encouraged me to take my own goals more seriously. I appreciated the different interests and perspectives of other LSS students and enjoyed learning about everyone’s’ interests, whether that was insects, the impact of aging, equality in healthcare, or endemic species.Our human evolution class in the fall included writing a paper on a topic of our choice. This is an important skill for scientists, to be able to read scientific papers and write in an academic setting. Our cure lab this spring has been an awesome chance to learn more about research from listening to speakers, reading papers, and exploring opportunities to grow our own STEM identities. We’ve had lots of important discussions about the scientific process, and ways to reduce inequalities in the accessibility of science careers. I especially enjoyed getting to see Dr. May-Collado’s lab and hearing about the research she and her students are working on.Overall, if you have a chance to join LSS and LASP I would recommend doing it. You will meet friends, find community, and learn a lot!
by Aly Rodger.
by Aly Rodger.
When I was applying to UVM, I had no idea what learning community to choose, until I saw the Liberal Arts Scholars Program at the bottom of the page. After reading through the attributes of this program, it was clear that it would greatly benefit my academic life. Dr. May-Collado, the Life Science Scholars advisor at the time, was very helpful when setting up schedules for the fall semester, and laid out a great plan that produced a fair and manageable workload. The courses associated with LSS LASP were some of my favorite throughout my first year, even though they were very different. The fall course, Human Evolution, was a great, interactive class that focused on writing a well prepared paper, a skill that is needed to succeed in the STEM world. The spring course, CURE Lab, was mostly discussion based. In class we talked about different seminars we were assigned to watch, and how those related to our STEM identity. These courses have strengthened my dreams of becoming a veterinarian in the future, and has helped me find resources and opportunities to achieve that goal.
Not only did LASP help me academically, but also socially. Coming to UVM, I knew no one. My hometown is over 6 hours away by car, and no one from my high school committed. Thankfully, I met some of my best friends this year in the Living/Learning building (where LASP students lived in 2021), and am so thankful that I was accepted into this program. LSS LASP has truly made my year great, and I urge everyone to apply.
by Brandon Collins
Not only did LASP help me academically, but also socially. Coming to UVM, I knew no one. My hometown is over 6 hours away by car, and no one from my high school committed. Thankfully, I met some of my best friends this year in the Living/Learning building (where LASP students lived in 2021), and am so thankful that I was accepted into this program. LSS LASP has truly made my year great, and I urge everyone to apply.
by Brandon Collins
When I applied to the life science LASP program, I really did not know what to expect from it. I really only knew that it would focus my courses heavily on biology and other science courses. I did not know that I would also be living with the other LASP students in a small, tight knit, learning community. I also was nervous that being in such a small group of students would feel isolating, but it had quite the opposite effect. I was able to meet people from all over campus and make connections that I never would have made without LASP. My best friends ended up being LASP students and we have formed strong connections over the year. Academically, LASP has allowed me to not only reaffirm that I love science and want to make a career out of it, but also allowed me to explore areas of science I did not even knew existed. Starting with the evolution seminar first semester, I learned so much from Dr. Bishop about evolution, the processes that go into it, and the global and ecological consequences of evolution we see today and in history. Also, in Dr. Bishop’s class I gained writing experience and strategies that I will carry with me for the rest of my time here at UVM and onward. The LSS Cure lab second semester opened my eyes to the UVM science community more by attending and watching talks from UVM staff and the greater scientific community that makes up UVM. I learned about all sorts of amazing work that different professors are doing in my community and was able to therefore explore my own interests as well. I would definitely recommend LASP to any UVM student, regardless of if you know what you want to do academically in college!
by Jackson Del Porto
by Jackson Del Porto
I joined LASP because I wanted to feel like part of a community and take some classes that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to take. I really enjoyed exploring my STEM identity through the CURE class second semester. It helped me confirm my interests in animals and conservation. I also learned a lot about how to analyze scientific papers in the evolution class first semester as well as in the CURE class, which will be helpful in the future. Thank you Dr. May-Collado and Dr. Bishop for the experience and future opportunities!
by Luna Hall
by Luna Hall
I came to UVM from Minnesota, so I didn’t know anyone coming into my freshman year. I applied to LSS in hopes of being a part of a community so that I would feel a sense of belonging, and that is exactly what I got. Living with and around my peers in LSS was extremely beneficial. I was surrounded by people who I could collaborate with, and my closest friends ended up being the people right across the hall. Other than a community, I gained a sense of security in my major. Us LSS students were pretty much bombarded with Biology classes, and if I had any doubts about majoring in Biological Sciences, I don’t after this year. I found our LSS classes to be really interesting, and I actually really enjoyed the amount of Bio I encountered. Our CURE lab spring semester was unlike anything I’ve ever taken. It was cool to have to space to just talk with my peers about science and our futures in the field. Thank you to LSS and Dr. May Collado for giving me a unique, specialized freshman year. I will take the resources I was given and the things I learned into my future college career!
by Emily Hanley
by Emily Hanley
Hi, my name is Kelsey and I was a member of the 2021 LASP program. When I first applied to this program it was purely for educational reasons. I wanted to make sure I had the best possible resource to succeed at college. What I didn’t realize is that I would end up meeting some of my best friends and getting so much out of the program. First semester we took a class on evolution which was led by Dr. Kristen Bishop. I was unsure about this class at first because I did not think I was that interested in evolution. However, this was one of the most interesting classes I have taken at college so far. This class inspired me to re-examine what my goals were for my career and what I wanted to do in the field of biology. In addition to that Dr. Bishop is an amazing professor who helped guide the class through some extremely interesting discussions.
Second semester we took the CURE lab class. In this class we discussed our stem identity and how we see ourselves fitting into the scientific community. This class made me realize that my passion in science is researching animals and conservation biology. These first-year classes were extremely formative for me in helping me realize the path I wanted to take in college. Both professor Collado and Professor Bishop were amazing teachers and mentors, and I am so grateful that I got to work with and learn from them this year.
One thing that I did not realize when coming into the program was how much I would like the people in it. When coming into college I was nervous about making friends and liking the people I was living with. However, in this program I have made life-long friends who I am so happy I met. It really helps to be taking the same classes as the people you live with because they can help you better understand the material you are learning. We have had so many adventures in our first year at college and I am excited for the next three. I highly recommend the LASP program to anyone who wants meaningful friendships and a great academic experience.
by Kelsey Norton
Second semester we took the CURE lab class. In this class we discussed our stem identity and how we see ourselves fitting into the scientific community. This class made me realize that my passion in science is researching animals and conservation biology. These first-year classes were extremely formative for me in helping me realize the path I wanted to take in college. Both professor Collado and Professor Bishop were amazing teachers and mentors, and I am so grateful that I got to work with and learn from them this year.
One thing that I did not realize when coming into the program was how much I would like the people in it. When coming into college I was nervous about making friends and liking the people I was living with. However, in this program I have made life-long friends who I am so happy I met. It really helps to be taking the same classes as the people you live with because they can help you better understand the material you are learning. We have had so many adventures in our first year at college and I am excited for the next three. I highly recommend the LASP program to anyone who wants meaningful friendships and a great academic experience.
by Kelsey Norton
I’ve always known I was interested in science, but I never had too clear an idea of what I would actually do for a career as a scientist. The specialized classes provided by the LASP program allowed me to explore the different career paths taken by science students, and to investigate the actual work done by many practicing scientists. Discussions about modern science issues allowed me to contextualize my interests and imagine goals I might have within a scientific discipline. I’ve gone from wanting to study my interests just for the sake of it to having a concept of what problems I might be able to solve by gaining knowledge of those interests.
I’ve also realized that I can apply aspects of my personal identity to my STEM career, which is something I never thought about before. Since coming to UVM, I’ve realized that my perception of the world differs greatly from that of the average person, and through discussion with my peers and mentors, I’ve come to realize that that unique perspective can inform research that I do in my future career.
I would recommend the LASP program to anyone who is interested in science, but perhaps only in an abstract sense, and doesn’t quite know what career they want to pursue. This program gave me great insight into what career options I will have in pursuing my scientific interests, and helped me develop the skills I will need to succeed at those careers.
by Jacob Corsilia
I’ve also realized that I can apply aspects of my personal identity to my STEM career, which is something I never thought about before. Since coming to UVM, I’ve realized that my perception of the world differs greatly from that of the average person, and through discussion with my peers and mentors, I’ve come to realize that that unique perspective can inform research that I do in my future career.
I would recommend the LASP program to anyone who is interested in science, but perhaps only in an abstract sense, and doesn’t quite know what career they want to pursue. This program gave me great insight into what career options I will have in pursuing my scientific interests, and helped me develop the skills I will need to succeed at those careers.
by Jacob Corsilia
The transition into college can easily be over whelming and intimidating, as you are often stepping outside of your comfort zone, exposing yourself to new places and new experiences. Being a Life Science Scholar was an extremely influential part of my introduction to college, as it gave me an immediate community as well as a foundation to build upon. The excellent researchers and professors Laura May Collado and Kristin Bishop were there to support and uphold me and my LSS peers from day one. We piloted the academic year with a Liberal Arts Scholars ice cream social, where all the first years were welcomed into the UVM LASP community. Throughout the academic year as a LSS member Ihave been challenged to analyze a wide array of scholarly articles and write a detailed research paper. In the LSS CURE lab, a second semester course with Professor May Collado, I have had the opportunity to take a deep dive into understanding my STEM identity, interests, and goals, along side myLSSpeers. Freshman year of college is an integral time in figuring out one’saspirations and goals,so Iam grateful to have the LSS community to help foster my love for science. I am excited for the future of the Liberal Arts Scholars Program!
by Rea Fox
by Rea Fox
When I applied to LASP last year, all I knew was that I loved science and that I wanted to study it more in college. When I toured UVM, my tour guide was a previous LASP student, and he told me how much he loved it and I knew that I had made the right decision. One of the best things about LASP is the fact that you get to live with the people who are in your program. Right as the semester started, I had friends and classmates that I lived with and could study with. I was able to live with my best friends as well as study with them and go to classes together. A time which can be very overwhelming became comfortable and I spent most of my time worrying about exams rather than making any friends.
Aside for the built-in community, LSS helped me decide what I wanted to do with science. I grew up watching doctor shows and always thought that being a surgeon would be pretty cool, when I got to college, I realized it was not my thing. Through LASP, and LSS specifically, I have been exposed to so many research opportunities and discovered that I wanted to do research in the biological field. The LSS cure lab introduced me to so many different fields of research that I was able to narrow my focus to a few options that I will continue to pursue. I am so excited for what is to come and what different labs I can work on, and I have LASP to thank for that. I have had great guidance by Laura May Collado and Kristin Bishop who helped me apply to the honors college and focus on what I am interested in.
Freshman year has had its ups and downs, chem being the biggest down, but overall things have been great for me. I figured out my place in the biology community, and in the UVM community. I am thankful for the opportunity to be in LSS and would recommend the opportunity to anyone who is interested in science.
by Laura O'Brien
Aside for the built-in community, LSS helped me decide what I wanted to do with science. I grew up watching doctor shows and always thought that being a surgeon would be pretty cool, when I got to college, I realized it was not my thing. Through LASP, and LSS specifically, I have been exposed to so many research opportunities and discovered that I wanted to do research in the biological field. The LSS cure lab introduced me to so many different fields of research that I was able to narrow my focus to a few options that I will continue to pursue. I am so excited for what is to come and what different labs I can work on, and I have LASP to thank for that. I have had great guidance by Laura May Collado and Kristin Bishop who helped me apply to the honors college and focus on what I am interested in.
Freshman year has had its ups and downs, chem being the biggest down, but overall things have been great for me. I figured out my place in the biology community, and in the UVM community. I am thankful for the opportunity to be in LSS and would recommend the opportunity to anyone who is interested in science.
by Laura O'Brien
Hello, my name is Samantha Gibbons, and I am a part of the 2021-2022 Life Science Scholars Program. Science has been a subject that has always interested me, so once I learned about LASP and that I could take more science classes I applied right away. Our first semester we took Human Evolution with Dr. Bishop, and I was nervous to be taking a writing-based course. Writing has never been my strong suit, but we were learning about topics that I found very interesting. This made the writing bearable, and even enjoyable at times. Additionally, I had never taken a course focused on evolution, and that opened a whole new perspective for me to look at biology and medicine. As we transitioned from Dr. Bishop’s human evolution course into Dr. Collado's cure lab, I kept thinking about evolution and natural selection. Cure lab allowed us to find our own interests and develop our stem identity. It was not surprising that I was interested in medicine, as that is something I have been interested in throughout my whole high school career. Although, this new evolutionary knowledge changed how I look at medicine and opened a broader range of research I’m interested in. Academically, this program was amazing. I learned so many new things and have a new lens to view science, but most importantly I have met some amazing people. The professors I have worked with within this program have been of utmost knowledge, helpfulness, and kindness, and that alone exceeded my expectations for the year. Additionally, I have met some of my best friends through this program. I was able to find people with similar academic interests and goals as myself. We collaborated, studied, and just hung out as friends together and that has made this semester fun socially and bearable academically.
by Samantha Gibbons
by Samantha Gibbons
If you have the opportunity to join the Life Science Scholars program, I recommend you take it. Even in a pandemic year where access to in-person lab work was limited, this program still taught me a lot about the practice of science; not just the broad ideals, but the nitty gritty of day-to-day research practice and making research a career. More than just the content listed on the syllabus, the LSS CURE lab teaches you the details you only acquire through experience. How do researchers apply for grants, what makes a paper more compelling to the wider academic crowd, and how do you apply to universities for research programs as an undergraduate and later as a professional? All of these questions are ones I wouldn’t have found the answers to without learning the hard way, and most certainly wouldn’t have found out as an undergraduate freshman! The LSS CURE lab gave me a head start and confidence to really open up the rest of my time on campus; I’m looking forward to the next three years, rather than past them.
Perhaps more important than the career experience and science education, however, is the social impact the LSS program has had for me and my fellow freshmen. The LSS program provided a reliable group of friends with similar interests right off the bat in freshman year, including grouped suite housing, and that made all the difference first year. I was able to stride into the rest of my classes confident in not just my academic ability, but in my ability to belong, and while that’s a little abstract it really did improve my quality of life and experience. The friends I have made in this program are awesome and help preserve my passion for biological sciences. I know other students who were also in the program, and that automatically gives us some connection to other graduating classes.
Finally, it must be stressed that both LSS classes are fun and interesting, notably more so than the large lecture classes most life science students will take their first year. The roundtable discussion classes both semesters were engaging and offered a peek into the intricacies of how science is discussed at higher levels, rather than simply learning content. This was super important for helping me preserve my passion for the life sciences, as the first-year courses felt jarringly different from what I expected college-level science to be like; the LSS classes were a good reminder that science only gets more interesting, and to keep slogging through the undergraduate lecture courses. The LSS classes’ roundtable discussions were a nice break from the lectures. In a similar vein, the LSS program offers you an opportunity to get to know biology faculty in ways you wouldn’t get to otherwise. Enjoy it and take full advantage of it, those connections will help you out with the rest of your college career. And finally, and most of all, it’s very fun.
I am very grateful to have been able to participate in the LSS LASP program, and happy to know that it will continue next year. It’s been a wonderful year, and I’m super excited for more students to be able to benefit from it in the future. Thank you very much, Professor May-Collado and Professor Bishop!
by Sparhawk Mulder
Perhaps more important than the career experience and science education, however, is the social impact the LSS program has had for me and my fellow freshmen. The LSS program provided a reliable group of friends with similar interests right off the bat in freshman year, including grouped suite housing, and that made all the difference first year. I was able to stride into the rest of my classes confident in not just my academic ability, but in my ability to belong, and while that’s a little abstract it really did improve my quality of life and experience. The friends I have made in this program are awesome and help preserve my passion for biological sciences. I know other students who were also in the program, and that automatically gives us some connection to other graduating classes.
Finally, it must be stressed that both LSS classes are fun and interesting, notably more so than the large lecture classes most life science students will take their first year. The roundtable discussion classes both semesters were engaging and offered a peek into the intricacies of how science is discussed at higher levels, rather than simply learning content. This was super important for helping me preserve my passion for the life sciences, as the first-year courses felt jarringly different from what I expected college-level science to be like; the LSS classes were a good reminder that science only gets more interesting, and to keep slogging through the undergraduate lecture courses. The LSS classes’ roundtable discussions were a nice break from the lectures. In a similar vein, the LSS program offers you an opportunity to get to know biology faculty in ways you wouldn’t get to otherwise. Enjoy it and take full advantage of it, those connections will help you out with the rest of your college career. And finally, and most of all, it’s very fun.
I am very grateful to have been able to participate in the LSS LASP program, and happy to know that it will continue next year. It’s been a wonderful year, and I’m super excited for more students to be able to benefit from it in the future. Thank you very much, Professor May-Collado and Professor Bishop!
by Sparhawk Mulder
Perhaps the most important thing that being a Life Science Scholar offered was a built-in community of people who had shared interests with me. Living with the people that I took my LSS class with was a huge deal, because we were all experiencing it together. Whether being in the LASP program as a Life Science Scholar affirms your passion for the natural sciences, or leads you to a new subject entirely, it is a program that is highly worth applying for. There is also the fact that being in LASP lets you live in L/L, which, with the suite style housing, allows for an even deeper sense of community.
by TJ Zovko
by TJ Zovko
When I applied to college, I had barely visited two colleges right near my home due to COVID. So, when I decided to go to University of Vermont (about 7-8 hours away) I was essentially going in blind. That being the case, I saw no reason that I shouldn’t apply to LASP – a very small relatively unknown learning community – because I had no idea what I was getting into anyway. And that has honestly been one of the luckiest things that I did.
By joining LASP, I was able to benefit greatly, even before going to school. Luckily, the LASP program makes ideal schedules for you based on your major. This really allowed me to take it easy and not worry about what I was taking because I knew that it was required and would benefit me based off my major. Not only that, but you have most (if not all) of your classes with your fellow LASP students. This really lets you make a close-knit group of friends that you see constantly and can study with and help. Not only that, but everyone is living in the same area too, so it’s very easy to interact. I’d have to say that this is what I enjoyed the most about being part of LASP. It really allowed you connect with people consistently and create a close network of friends from day one, which is not something that many other people can say. Overall, I had a great experience with LASP since it really allowed me to connect with my community on a level that is definitely different than what I expected from college and this program.
by Zach Lieberman
By joining LASP, I was able to benefit greatly, even before going to school. Luckily, the LASP program makes ideal schedules for you based on your major. This really allowed me to take it easy and not worry about what I was taking because I knew that it was required and would benefit me based off my major. Not only that, but you have most (if not all) of your classes with your fellow LASP students. This really lets you make a close-knit group of friends that you see constantly and can study with and help. Not only that, but everyone is living in the same area too, so it’s very easy to interact. I’d have to say that this is what I enjoyed the most about being part of LASP. It really allowed you connect with people consistently and create a close network of friends from day one, which is not something that many other people can say. Overall, I had a great experience with LASP since it really allowed me to connect with my community on a level that is definitely different than what I expected from college and this program.
by Zach Lieberman
I came from a very small high school into UVM. I applied to the LASP program because I wanted to be part of a smaller community with people who shared my interests. I think that the LSS LASP has done just that for me. I’ve made great friends through the program and have felt like I have a smaller, closer community within the larger community of UVM. Living with my peers and with people who have similar interests to mine has defiantly helped motivate me and reinforce my interest in the life sciences. I think that having a life sciences advisor and faculty was also beneficial to me and to my first year college experience. Overall, LSS LASP was a great opportunity for me and made me feel much more confident in my academics as well as more comfortable at college. I think it was a great experience for me and definitely made my first year at college unique!
by Willow Walker
by Willow Walker
Being a member of the LASP community has made my freshman year much better than Icould have expected. I hadn’t been to Vermont, or even the east coast really, when I committed toUVM. Coming all the way from Chicago, I was a little worried about finding people to make thisschool feel a little more like home. With LASP, I was able to live with and around other peoplein the program with similar majors, and we quickly became close friends. We all had many of thesame classes throughout the year, so we could study together in our suite. It was a great feelingto come into my freshman year and already know so many people. Throughout the year, we allgrew our STEM identities together and were able to help each other through that process.The liberal arts scholars courses significantly helped me develop my scientific interests,and ultimately helped me decide to switch to a chemistry major from biological sciences.Chemistry was my favorite subject in high school, but because I planned to pursue the pre-medtrack, I figured biology would be more applicable. However, through my freshman year classes, Irealized that I should pursue chemistry, the subject I have been so passionate about in the past.The guidance of the LASP professors, particularly Dr. Laura May Collado and Dr. KristinBishop, and the opportunities within our community helped me make this decision. The humanevolution course we all took in the first semester was very interesting, and also helped meexplore subjects I might have learned about without LASP. The life science CURE lab fromsecond semester has introduced us to research opportunities at processes, including those we canexplore at UVM. Overall, I am so happy to have chosen to be in LASP, both for the academicopportunities and the close knit community I had as I found my footing in this first year ofcollege.
by Luca Andersen
by Luca Andersen
I came to UVM knowing absolutely no one. I applied to be a part of the Life Science Scholars’ program because I was drawn by the idea of community based in shared interest. This community exceeded my expectations and I have met some of my greatest friends through it. The immediate connection I had going into extremely difficult classes was one of the greatest weights off my shoulders. These people helped me when I was lost and gave me the opportunity to grow in a safe space.
So much of the beauty of this program came from the relationships I found not just with people in LSS, but friendships I formed with people from other LASP programs. I think that attests to how wonderful the people here are. Even with little to no shared interests between me and the world languages scholars, they became some of my closest friends.
The CURE lab course we took in our second semester was so unlike any course I imagined myself in as a first-year student. It was rooted in reading and understanding scientific literature, but in a way that allowed us to explore what we want our future in science to look like. It was the perfect balance of flexibility and structure that I think allowed us to really dig into our passions and how to pursue them.
I owe the best things from my freshman year to LASP and the LSS program. It brought me some of the greatest community I have experienced as well as solidifying my love for science. It opened my mind to new avenues I can explore in my field and equipped me with the resources to feel confident doing so.
by Kira Gotwals
So much of the beauty of this program came from the relationships I found not just with people in LSS, but friendships I formed with people from other LASP programs. I think that attests to how wonderful the people here are. Even with little to no shared interests between me and the world languages scholars, they became some of my closest friends.
The CURE lab course we took in our second semester was so unlike any course I imagined myself in as a first-year student. It was rooted in reading and understanding scientific literature, but in a way that allowed us to explore what we want our future in science to look like. It was the perfect balance of flexibility and structure that I think allowed us to really dig into our passions and how to pursue them.
I owe the best things from my freshman year to LASP and the LSS program. It brought me some of the greatest community I have experienced as well as solidifying my love for science. It opened my mind to new avenues I can explore in my field and equipped me with the resources to feel confident doing so.
by Kira Gotwals
