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Student Snapshot: Kayla Slomeana ’25

“I love the fact that there are always new discoveries and developments within neuroscience,” says Kayla Slomeana ’25, a neuroscience major who interned in a research lab last summer. On campus, she’s involved through Student Senate, the QR center and as a cheerleader, and she’s earned several honors and awards. She discusses the class that put her Spanish-speaking skills to work in service of a worthy cause, her internship and why she chose Dickinson.

Hometown:

Collegeville, Pa.

Major:

Neuroscience major, with a minor in Spanish.

Clubs and organizations:

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ cheerleading, Student Senate and QR Center (organic chemistry QR associate).

Honors/scholarships/awards:

First-Year Chemistry Award, Outstanding Organic Chemistry Student Award, Alpha Lambda Delta, the George Shuman Jr. and Mary Louise D’Olier Shuman Award and the John Patton Memorial Prize.

Best thing about my Dickinson experience so far:

Being a student at Dickinson has opened me up to entirely new perspectives within multiple fields. I particularly loved serving as the director of inclusivity for Student Senate. I had the privilege of working alongside an amazing all-college committee and my peers.

Best thing about my major:

I love the fact that there are always new discoveries and developments within neuroscience. The topic is complex and fascinating. Being able to work with live animals for the good of science has been super exciting for me!

On choosing Dickinson:

I was really drawn to the warm and inclusive environment on campus and in the town of Carlisle. The professors all seemed very passionate about teaching, and I felt as though I would be given lots of opportunities to form strong bonds with the faculty here.

Favorite place on campus:

Rector Atrium.

Favorite class:

Spanish for the Health Professions: I was able to develop my Spanish-speaking skills as I interacted with migrant workers on local farms and provided translation services for the workers and medical care providers. It was an amazing and enriching experience.

Post-Dickinson plans:

I plan to go to medical school.

About my research internship:

During summer and fall 2024, I had the honor of working as a research intern in the neurobiology & anatomy department at Drexel University College of Medicine. I worked in Dr. Denise Garcia’s laboratory with the graduate students.

We mainly worked with Flywire, a scientific database that has all of the fruit-fly neurons labeled by morphology and location within the fly brain (more are added as they are discovered). Our project focused on tracing and editing the astrocytes within the fly hemibrain, in which we stayed largely within the optic lobe and lobula plate. After editing the astrocytes within the database, we classified and analyzed them for morphological differences based on their location.

Advice for younger students:

Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Put yourself out there, because the worst someone can say is no. I’ve been rejected many times, but it only takes one person to give you a chance, and you’d be surprised how many more opportunities come!

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Published January 28, 2025