"There’s no question that one of the reasons I’ve had the nerve to pursue my interests is directly due to the fact that I am surrounded by all women. The absence of the gender barrier, even if only for a couple of years, has done wonders in influencing the way I perceive myself, and I know I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my academic skills during my time here."
- Peggy

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FAVORITE COURSE: My favorite course has to be Marine Biology (BISC 210). It was such a phenomenal class for several reasons. First, the professors were amazing (there were two) and really got me interested in the subject. Also, we frequently took lab field trips to visit beach and marsh ecosystems on Cape Cod and rocky intertidal ecosystems in Nahant, MA. The lab portion also involved an independent research project and allowed us to explore a topic that we were interested in. I did mine on an invasive plant species on Cape Cod, which meant taking trips to the Cape in order to get fresh samples to be analyzed. Finally, the class was very small (approximately 11 people), so the entire class got to be very close. I met two of my best friends in that class.

YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON ACADEMICS: Well, studying in the sciences takes a lot of time, so you end up spending a lot of time with your classmates and get to be really close. You have late-night study parties during exam period, which almost always involve ordering food and listening to music. On a more serious note, it’s really nice to have a chance to study this material with all women.

Science has always been a male-dominated field, which is very discouraging to women who want to enter into the sciences. I absolutely LOVE my major; however, I frequently question if I would still be a biology major at a coeducational school.

The faculty are very supportive and always willing to help you or answer questions you might have. They’re also great to just stop by and have a casual chat with. At college, your professors, especially within your major, are your main mentor figures, especially because you now spend more time with them than your own parents, so I think it’s pretty important that you like them.

Also, I’ve noticed that when I like my professors, I automatically become more interested in the subject they’re teaching, which always helps the learning process. Even topics I thought I wouldn’t be interested in have become interesting. Perfect example: organic chemistry. Now, I am SO not a chemist, nor have I EVER seriously considered being a chemistry major. But just a couple of days ago, I found myself asking my chemistry major friend about the advanced organic chemistry class that my professor teaches.

RESEARCH/INTERNSHIPS: I’m doing research, along with other students, on different species of weevils in the Galapagos archipelago. We’re using microsatellites, regions of nucleotide repeats within the genome, and sequencing and genotying them to investigate the different species on the islands.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT WELLESLEY: There are many opportunities that I’ve had here that I’m not sure I would have gone after at another school. There’s no question that one of the reasons I’ve had the nerve to pursue my interests is directly due to the fact that I am surrounded by all women. The absence of the gender barrier, even if only for a couple of years, has done wonders in influencing the way I perceive myself, and I know I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my academic skills during my time here.

DREAM JOB: I’m pre-med, so it’s no surprise that I hope to go to medical school and become a doctor. Although it would be pretty cool to be a marine biologist too!

See Peggy's blog.