Hi my name is Kelsie and I’m a third year undergraduate student here at UCLA :) I am currently majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with hopes of getting another major in Psychology!

Hometown

Beaumont, California

Major(s)

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology + Psychology

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Melanin and Medicine, South African Student Association, 365 Black,Volunteer at Cedar Sinai, and I work for UCLA CLICC (recently got)

Describe your college experience

Coming to UCLA was very exciting to think about when I first got accepted and but actually experiencing being an undergraduate was honestly pretty nerve wrecking. I’m a pre-med student as well so classes and content of class are fast paced and also hard to get. Overtime though, it got easier to navigate, use campus resources available, and also make new friends we provided me with community and also guidance for the rest of my time at UCLA!

Tip for future students

There’s a few tips I would have for incoming students. The first tip would be to use class resources. Really make sure if you don’t understand anything to go to your professors office hours or teachers hours. A 10 week system catches up to you really fast so it’s important to stay on top of it. My second tip would be to join AAP. AAP is a program that helps students with majority of the pre requisite classes and is essentially tutoring taught by students who have previously taken the class. This was super helpful for me. My third tip would be don’t be scared to branch out and meet new people. College is the time to explore and find your community. I encourage you to join clubs or even talk to the people on your dorm floor. Those are some ways I made friends. I was also a little shy at first so I regret not doing these actions more often :)

Favorite class

My favorite class has been 7A. It is kind of an unpopular opinion across pre-meds since a lot of them don’t really like it. I liked this class because it reminded me of my high school AP Biology class and I also loved the content that was taught!

Career goals

I want to become a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. After UCLA, I plan on getting my masters and then going to medical school.

Ideal way to spend a free night

My ideal way to spend a free night would be to snuggle in bed and binge watch a show or watch a movie. Sometimes I do end up doomscrolling on Tik Tok or Instagram though.

High school or secondary school

Beaumont High School

Previous college

Mt. San Jacinto Community College (Dual Enrollment Classes)

Favorite spot on campus

My favorite spot of campus is the seating area right outside Campbell Hall under the trees. It’s a nice scenic area to relax and also to get work done.