Asia Wooten

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

Organic Chemistry with Assistant Professor Casey Jones and Professor Louis Kuo. The class taught me how many common drugs react together to form different compounds, which can affect the precautions given when administering multiple types of medications. Learning new information that can be applied to the treatment of diseases ultimately heightens my desire to not only become a physician but a developer of new and useful treatments for my own patients.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

The abundance of resources for science majors and small class sizes.

Where do you find community on campus?

I find community within the Black Student Union with students who come from the same cultural background as me. I also find community in the Symbolic and Quantitative Resource Center (SQRC) where I relate to students who are studying the same coursework as me.

How do you manage stress?

I manage stress by taking a break from whatever I’m doing and practicing the piano.

Have you had the opportunity to do research with a professor? If so, please describe the project and the experience.

Since my first year, I have participated in lab research in Assistant Professor Norma Velazquez’s lab studying the underlying effects of alcohol and nicotine exposure in drosophilia (fruit flies).

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced at Lewis & Clark?

My biggest challenge to success at Lewis & Clark was developing the right study habits. For months I underwent a process of trial and error. However, as the year progressed I became more comfortable with asking for help, taking the initiative to organize study groups, and going to office hours on a regular basis. These are all tasks that now feel natural and easy to do. Now that I’ve become well aware of how to use the resources that are available to me, my grades have really demonstrated my hard work.