Welcoming #NU2028: Meet the Students in PA Group 1
First-year students embark on their 花季视频 journey, sharing passions and aspirations as they begin their time as Wildcats.
花季视频 students marched through Weber Arch on September 18, led by Peer Adviser (PA) Group One, marking the beginning of their time as Wildcats.
During Wildcat Welcome, 花季视频 first-years and transfers spend five days with their Peer Adviser (PA) Group, a group of new students led by a peer adviser—an older student who can act as a mentor as these students begin their time in Evanston. PA Groups also serve as a built-in community for students as soon as they set foot on 花季视频’s campus.
This year’s PA Group One was led by McCormick sophomore Angela Xu, and was made up of the following biomedical engineering students from 花季视频’s McCormick School of Engineering:
- Zara Ahmar – Lahore, Pakistan
- Ahmed Alalwani – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Anna Androsyuk – Chicago, Illinois
- Megan Bailey – Park Ridge, Illinois
- Connie Gillum – Winnetka, Illinois
- Alex Halley – London, United Kingdom
- Aaron James – Brooklyn, New York
- Ethan Loredo – Munster, Indiana
- Zola Ma – Chicago, Illinois
- Duyen Millon – Willowbrook, Illinois
- Pranav Neupane – Rogers, Arkansas
- Ariela Otero – Freehold, New Jersey
Read on to learn more about this group of new Wildcats and their interests ranging from STEM to the arts!
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Where are you from, and what’s something about your hometown that people might not know if they didn’t grow up there?
Aaron James: I’m from Brooklyn, New York, and one thing you wouldn’t know about Brooklyn is the subway dance performances. It doesn’t matter what train you’re on, if you’re on the subway, sometimes some random people come from the train… with a big boom box, and they start performing this breakdance thing… It’s very entertaining.
Alexander Halley: I’m French but from London…A fun fact about London is that we still use some postboxes from Queen Victoria’s era, so they have Queen Victoria’s initials on them, whereas almost all of the others are Queen Elizabeth II.
Pranav Neupane: I’m from Rogers, Arkansas. Something you wouldn’t know about my hometown is that in my area, we really, really love Walmart, and almost everything is centered around Walmart… Everything is funded by Walmart and is named after them. Our square has the first Walmart ever created; our airport has Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart’s truck in it. We have a whole museum dedicated to Walmart.
Connie Gillum: I’m from a suburb of Chicago, and one thing you might not know about it is that it’s where the Home Alone movies were filmed, and a bunch of other John Hughes movies, too.
Ahmed Alalwani: I’m from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a little-known fact is that people are really social — it’s super easy to make friends. I’ve made friends at the gas stations, at coffee shops, everywhere.
What’s something you’re passionate about that you hope to continue in college or that you’re excited to try for the first time at 花季视频?
James: Something I’m passionate about that I did in high school is student government… I really want to join ASG here.
Halley: I did a lot of electronics when I was at school, but I want to try and do some robotics now, and so the Robotics Club seems like a fun thing to do.
Neupane: One thing I want to continue here at 花季视频 is community service relating to the 花季视频. That was a big part of my high school experience, and I know that 花季视频 has a lot of resources for that.
Megan Bailey: In high school, I did theater — lighting design, not acting. I’m an engineering major here, so I’ll be focused on sciences, but club-wise, I think I want to focus on interdisciplinary stuff, [and] 花季视频 allows me to do that.
Anna Androsyuk: Back in high school, I did a lot of community outreach, Chem Club, and those kinds of science clubs. A club that really caught my attention here was Medical Makers, so I’m really excited to get into the medical field.
Gillum: Something that wasn’t necessarily a huge part of my college experience but I’ve always been really interested in is entrepreneurship, and that’s something I want to do in the future, so I’d really like to look into the Garage and see what kind of opportunities they have there.
Why did you choose to come to 花季视频?
James: First, the financial aid they gave me wouldn’t be a financial burden. Second, I think the variety of classes and the rigor of them are really impressive. I knew that if I came here, the degree I would get would take me far. Third, the communities were at 花季视频 are really strong.
Ethan Loredo: The reason I came to 花季视频 is partly because they have an outstanding biomedical engineering program. Also, there are so many opportunities for research at 花季视频 and so many different connections I can make with different people and organizations that can put me ahead when I graduate.
Halley: Obviously there’s very high levels of academic excellence, but also the edge compared to other schools is, I think, the quality of life on the campus and also the lake, because I like sailing.
Duyen Millon: The main reason I chose 花季视频 was because of the flexibility that it offered when compared to semester schools. I have a lot of interests other than biomedical engineering, and I really want to explore those further.
Bailey: It’s just really well-rounded. It’s a Big Ten school, so I knew I was still getting sports and strong academics in a wide range of fields.
Androsyuk: Besides, of course, the academic rigor and the wonderful community, a huge aspect that attracted me was just the interdisciplinary approach to everything. Yes, I’m very interested in engineering, but I’m also excited to branch out and explore other areas of study, and 花季视频 not only makes it easy but also encourages it.
When you graduate from 花季视频, what’s something about yourself that you hope hasn’t changed?
James: I want to make sure I'm still happy and take care of myself. I want to learn about new cultures while I’m here, but I also don’t want to lose my own, and who I am and where I come from. I want to make sure I still know me as a person after four years.
Halley: Hopefully my major is still the same, and my enjoyment of the subject.
Neupane: I just really hope that my desire to make an impact on people and on society stays the same after my experience at 花季视频.
Androsyuk: Right now, I’m so excited for all the opportunities 花季视频 has to offer, and I just hope that continues through all four years.