Jamie Borton, senior

From: Seattle, Washington

Exploring: Biochemistry

Nurturing your inquisitive side: Science satiates my curiosity. I like to ask questions, and the small classes at Lewis & Clark allow me to ask a lot of them. I also get plenty of one-on-one mentorship here, which is so important at this stage in my development as a scientist. With help from my adviser, biochemist Deborah Lycan, I’m working on an honors research project at Oregon Health & Science University. I’m studying the protein pathways of fibroblast cells, which could have a link to melanoma. Getting this level of experience is highly uncommon for undergraduates at large universities, but at Lewis & Clark, research opportunities are really stressed and promoted.

Exercising your athletic side: One of the reasons I chose Lewis & Clark was the varsity crew team. I love rowing—on the water, I have my time to mentally decompress, and in training, we feed on each other’s energy.

Satisfying your artistic side: Music has been a big part of my life all four years at Lewis & Clark. I’ve played trumpet in the jazz band and the wind symphony, and now the orchestra. Music is something I do purely for fun.

Weighing all sides: At some universities, I would have been just a rower, or just a science major. Here I can do everything, and I’m glad I don’t have to make big cuts in my life. Because I really like music, and rowing, and science, and I want to do all of them. That’s what I’m here for—to really learn and develop as a person.

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