My favorite experience in my major has been conducting an independent research project about the effects of birth control on attraction in females. The research project allowed me to perform my own experiment as an undergraduate student, which many students never have the chance to do.
Current Student Spotlight:
Erin Krafka ’13
Hometown:Centerville, Ohio
Major:Neuroscience
Future prevention programs manager for neurological disorders
Member of the Honors Program, Alpha Phi Omega, Psi Chi Honorary and Alpha Lambda Delta Honorary as well as vice president of the Psychology Club
MY EXCEPTIONAL STORY
Learning about the brain
During high school my friend suffered from quite a few concussions, which is what sparked my interest in learning about the brain. I knew from then on that I wanted to major in neuroscience, so I started looking for colleges and universities that offered that major. I also wanted to play volleyball during college, so I was excited to find out that Mount Union offered a major in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and had a great volleyball team.
Small class size
I really like the small class sizes at Mount Union. Most of my classes thus far have had about 15 students in them, and I even had one last year that had only five students. The small class sizes have helped me academically because they allow for more learning, more hands-on experiences and stronger relationships with professors. At Mount Union, professors know who you are and they genuinely care about you and your success in and out of the classroom. You’re not a number at Mount Union, like you may be at a larger university.
B & B Café
If I had to pick one place on campus to take someone who was visiting, I would take him or her to the B & B Café because it has delicious food and beverages (especially smoothies). It also is a nice place to do homework between classes or simply hang out with friends.
Hands-on experience
My favorite experience in my major has been conducting an independent research project about the effects of birth control on attraction in females. The research project allowed me to perform my own experiment as an undergraduate student, which many students never have the chance to do.
Breaking out of my comfort zone
My favorite class thus far has been African American Religious Traditions with Dr. Ivory Lyons, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies. I didn’t have any knowledge about the topic before taking this class and I truly believe I learned a tremendous amount of information! We even took a trip to a Baptist Church and participated in a full Baptist service. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me much more than any lecture could.
Career goal
My ultimate career goal is to manage prevention programs for neurological disorders. Throughout my college experience, I have seen relatives suffer from neurological disorders and I have developed a passion for wanting to prevent these diseases.
