Student Profiles

Shira’s favorite aspect of the event was the diversity of the diners. “It’s a ton of fun to get to share parts of our culture and to hear about other people’s cultures.” No matter what cultural and religious background participants came from, they found that they shared a common love of pajamas and breakfast food.

This event is one example of the many that Shira gets to coordinate, share, and promote as part of her role as a communications intern for Hillel. She especially enjoys working with the different groups within Hillel, such as the Jewish Learning Fellowship and the Women’s Cohort. This was particularly important during the spring quarter of 2020, when the UChicago community was connecting from afar due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shira tackled the challenge of connecting remotely by running a program called J-Swap, where every week participants exchanged favorite recommendations such as songs, recipes, and movies. While it’s fun to unleash some of her creativity and coordinate remote gatherings, she also fondly remembers events before the pandemic, such as the annual Nice Jewish Ball (NJB). “It’s a party held at a brewery off campus,” she explains. “We have a great turnout and it’s a ton of fun. Think college students meet bar-mitzvah throwbacks.”

The community was a big reason why Shira got involved as a first year. “I started going to Hillel for the religious services they hold, got to know the staff through that, and just started sharing my ideas,” she recalls. This role helped her navigate the communities within UChicago as she found her footing on campus, and figure out how best to share her passions in a way that bolsters community. This creativity and passion is one of her favorite things about UChicago, and something she wants prospective students to consider. “There’s always room at UChicago for wacky new ideas! Just stay committed to what you’re passionate about and you’ll find the energy here to put your ideas into action!”

To learn more about Hillel, check out their TikTok Team, another one of Shira’s favorite creations.

His goal is to reveal the factors that inhibit and contribute to our effective filtering of information; those revelations will be published in a scientific journal in the near future.

Liam has been interested in the intersection between psychology and biology since high school. Similar to most of his peers, his introduction to the lab took only a simple email; as a first-year, only four weeks after moving onto campus he emailed and met with several professors about their research, and very quickly found his home in the Awh and Vogel lab. However, like many UChicago students, he didn’t truly understand what conducting research entails until he began working in the lab. He was struck by the sheer difference in how information was treated: active discussion and debates were the name of the game, and he was encouraged to get involved and dig deeper. This was in stark contrast to many high school courses, where students are presented with information that has been standardized and solidified after much debate. This made Liam curious to find what his role could be in the creation and definition of knowledge that will one day make its way into high school science classes.

This is just one way in which research has changed Liam’s perceptions. When describing how lab work has restructured his mind, he reflects on his new hypothesis-driven thinking. “Whenever you pose a question in your typical discussion classes, don’t underestimate the power of those words. These critical thoughts have and will continue to be the force that spearheads innovation in every field. By being on a campus like UChicago’s, where vibrant discussions are a common occurrence, you are inadvertently fueling this inquiry into the future, be that by plotting your own trajectory or influencing that of your peers.” This, along with using solid evidence when reaching any conclusion, has helped Liam immensely; he even believes it helped him secure his management consulting internship position this past summer.

Liam completes his research using electroencephalogy (EEG), which detects and records electrical signals of the brain. His experience as a research assistant also includes sifting through data from thousands of trials, presenting at lab group meetings, training new research assistants, coding and devising new experiments, and of course grilling food with his lab members along Lake Michigan. He describes his lab as a supportive family who have included him in challenging some predominant ideas within neuroscience. “I’m lucky to be in a lab with two principal investigators, Ed Vogel and Ed Awh, where I basically have two more dads in my life who just so happen to be geniuses in their fields!”

Support from Liam’s close-knit lab was crucial as he began to present his findings at conferences, a daunting task for every new researcher. His research findings have taken him to events such as Society for Neuroscience, one of the world’s largest scientific conferences; while there, he presented to professors whose papers he has read to contribute to discussion in classes and his lab. Because the reward of seeing your work come to fruition far outweighs the nervousness of presenting, Liam doesn’t want prospective students to be afraid of taking chances and finding the right research opportunity for them. “I know you think that getting a research position might be difficult and rare especially at institutions that are so renowned for their research. However, there are institutions where professors place as much emphasis on encouraging thought and the future continuity of their work by educating and connecting with students as their own research. When you find that professor, everything is easy, simple, fun, and so rewarding.”

One such trip involved a camping trip departing from the desert city of Merzouga. “After a delicious dinner and a few hours of music by the fire, my friends and I wandered for about ten minutes until we settled on a place to put our blankets down and stargaze. It was an absolutely breathtaking night. And when we returned the next day a bit sandy and exhausted, the hammam down the street from my homestay came in handy!”

While Georgia loved many parts of her experience, one of her fondest memories is studying with her language partner Afaf. “We met every week to speak in Arabic and English. In the homestay, as well as in restaurants, taxis, and pretty much everywhere in between, my roommate and I mainly spoke French with our host parents (but sometimes they insisted on switching to Arabic to help us practice!) Our dinner conversations revolved around cultural exchange, asking a million questions about French and Arabic vocabulary, and bombarding our host parents with funny stories about our weekend travel adventures.” By the end of the trip, the group was so close that it was difficult to say goodbye – she even struggled to say goodbye to her newfound friends, the neighborhood cats. “We weren't really supposed to pet them, but I snuck a careful pet here and there anyway,” she fondly remembers.

Help from her academic advisers and program directors was an instrumental part of making the experience as smooth as possible. “My major requires 2 full years of a Near Eastern Language. I was worried my Arabic teacher would not accept me into the spring quarter Arabic level if I did not take advanced Arabic in Morocco, which was not initially offered.” Fortunately, the program directors went out of their way to make sure there was an advanced level; an Arabic teacher even provided Georgia and her peers a crash course on the few lessons they missed before their return in the spring. Her academic adviser also made sure the travel fit smoothly into her schedule, and the university provided her with a scholarship to cover airfare and travel expenses. With this support, Georgia was all set and ready to go.

Georgia chose not to leave the experience behind her, but instead to carry it through the rest of her college experience by letting it influence her thesis the following year. Her work focused on Abraham Serfaty, a Moroccan Jewish activist who spent his life devoted to Morocco, even after being imprisoned there for 17 years. The topic occurred to her during her trip as she learned more about the Moroccan Jewish community, which has dwindled over the past century. The research borne out of her study abroad experience helped her understand the importance of fighting for one’s value and maintaining one’s identity in the face of struggle, a lesson that instilled confidence as she marched towards graduation.

Studying abroad isn’t always a piece of cake, but Georgia encourages students to go for it anyway. “Language barriers come up often, even if you have studied French and Arabic, and there are a lot of cultural differences. By the time I left after 10 weeks in Morocco, I came out feeling so confident in my abilities to adapt, learn from mistakes, and not shy away from a challenge! Not only was it one of the most memorable experiences of my life, but it taught me that I really can handle whatever comes my way, which is an incredibly useful lesson that I did not take for granted as I headed towards graduation.”

Ever since her second year, Shreya has stepped into a leadership role. In her position as a team lead, she leads a group of five undergraduate students to create new strategies and programs for South Side nonprofits. This includes sitting down with organization leaders to discuss their ideas, then spending the rest of the quarter brainstorming and developing materials. The role has given her a unique opportunity to manage several different types of projects; her work has covered everything from writing business plans for a nutrition education initiative to crafting a curriculum for a youth asthma awareness program. This work, along with regular team meetings, have been a highlight of her time at UChicago. “Even if it has been a grueling week, I’m instantly uplifted when everyone comes together with the same energy and passion as always to talk about the project and keep plowing ahead despite everything else going on in our lives,” she says. “It’s amazing how the group really brings together students with vastly different academic and personal backgrounds because of a shared interest in creating social change.” She has also enjoyed the chance to sit alongside public service leaders and actively help them think through the big-picture questions they face, such as what community needs they want to address and how effectively their functions and missions align.

As it turns out, finding opportunities such as this wasn’t nearly as difficult as she feared as a first year. “I remember sitting in an Orientation Week session about civic engagement and one of the handouts listed the Pathfinder website as a place where students could find opportunities relating to social impact. I came across a job listing for a student consultant role at the Accelerator that caught my eye, and the rest is history!” She encourages prospective students who are curious about social justice and community impact work to check out the website: “If civic engagement is something you want to keep pursuing through college, this campus has definitely got the opportunities for you. From the RSOs that work on criminal justice reform to the Neighborhood Schools Program where you can tutor local students, there are endless ways to create social impact on and beyond campus. If something doesn’t work, you can always try something new the next quarter!”.

According to Shreya, one of the most valuable takeaways from her time with the Accelerator has been realizing her place in not just the UChicago community, but also the Hyde Park and greater Chicago communities. “I think every student has a responsibility to engage with that identity and to find opportunities to meaningfully impact the community they now live in. This has been an amazing way for me to apply the critical thinking skills I learn in my classes and a personal passion for civic engagement directly to my community,” Shreya explains. “Because of this opportunity, I've been able to interact with inspiring public service leaders across the City and engage in endless professional development opportunities to grow both as a leader and a citizen of Chicago.”

This particular experience focused business and STEM employers and allowed students to meet with the Dubai and Abu Dhabi headquarters for businesses such as McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co., Boston Consulting Group, Halliburton, Masdar City, Dubai Office of Economic Development and Cleveland Clinic.

The trek not only exposed Forrest to many employers, but also introduced him to people who share his passions. “I've always been interested in international business and this gave me a better idea of how to pursue this career outside the United States,” he explained. “I was able to talk to alumni in Dubai as well as talk to employees during the site visits and learn more about why they chose to work abroad, as many of the employees were ex-pats.” The trip also influenced his potential career aspirations; while he had little exposure to consulting before the trek, after visiting several firms he became interested in the field.

Forrest opted to extend the four-day trip, in order to further explore his birthplace of the United Arab Emirates (UAE); because he had not returned since he was a baby, this trip had special meaning for him. He left with an appreciation for Masdar City, one of the world's most sustainable urban communities. “We were able to tour around portions of the city in autonomous vehicles, which was super cool to see the future in action,” he remembered. Although he struggled with switch between intense heat and frigid air conditioning, the dueling temperatures were well worth one of his favorite experiences: walking through the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world which includes a walkthrough shark tank.

One of his biggest takeaways from the experience is the fact that there are many career options outside of the United States for those who are interested. He hopes to take advantage of one of these options after he graduates next year. “Take advantage of all the opportunities a university offers,” he urges new students, “especially if they give you the chance to explore the world.”

“I analyzed various gerrymandering metrics to try to find inconsistencies between what they said they measured and what they actually did,” he explains. “I also worked on a project to create a metric that measures how similar or dissimilar districting plans are from each other, and I wrote articles for high schoolers about MGGG’s method of identifying gerrymandering, to show how we can use math to solve policy problems.” At the time, the MGGG had recently produced the Supreme Court’s first ever “mathematician’s brief”, an amicus brief that advised on gerrymandering cases. Although Gabe arrived shortly after the brief had been filed, he enjoyed the chance to be a part of a team that had undertaken such impactful work.

Although Gabe has long been interested in both math and politics (he was a member of the Institute of Politics’ student advisory board, and his love of math began as early as the first grade), this was his first time conducting mathematical research. “One of my biggest takeaways is that research is SO fun. I had never proved something new before, but it was awesome. How often do you get to discover that, for example, there is no way you could split up Utah into 4 districts so that the Democrats get at least two seats?”

The experience also gave Gabe the chance to spend the summer in a new part of the country. Because the MGGG is located in Boston, Gabe lived near Tufts University and spent some days commuting to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This allowed him to see much of the surrounding area. He particularly enjoyed running at Middlesex Fells Park and spending his Tuesday nights becoming a regular bar trivia attendee with friends. However, his absolute favorite moment of the summer involved working with the Partisan Gini, a function that measures the partisan symmetry of any given districting plan. He and his team took only a few days to zero out the equation. If you’re curious, you can explore the math of electoral redistricting and learn more about the MGGG here.

MUNUC is a way for UChicago students to get involved in education, research and debate, and conference administration. Comprised of roughly 200 students, the organization is the second-largest Model UN group in the country. They manage Model UN committees for 2,400 high schools students and offers numerous ways to be involved, including conferences, summer programs, and fun social events throughout Chicago. Dan got involved in MUNUC’s college conference as well as their competitive team, eventually claiming his current role as the organization’s chief of staff. However, some of his favorite memories with MUNUC come from the time he spent halfway across the world.

Pegasus is a two-week summer program in China, in which MUNUC members can teach students in middle and high school about Model UN. “This includes a topic class, focusing on a policy area such as economics or international law, and core classes in debate, research, and public speaking. Ultimately, it leads to a three-day conference at the program's location,” explains Dan, who partook in two Pegasus camps in the summer of 2019. His camps took him to Shanghai and Beijing. He acted as a homeroom teacher for both programs, as well as teaching about international law for the weeks in Beijing and public speaking while in Shanghai.

Dan’s biggest takeaway from the experience is the improvement he made in his skills as an educator. “There were language and cultural barriers throughout the experience,” he explains, “but at the end of the day I always found a way to reach my students. Developing that flexibility has allowed me to become a better teacher and presenter.” His favorite moment, however, was the talent show the students held during the program. “All the kids performed in their own way, and it made me happy to see every student show off their successes.”

Dan encourages students who are interested to pursue MUNUC, as it can be a great way to include travel, new friends, and fun new experiences into their years at UChicago. Students are welcome to browse their website and connect on Facebook and Instagram.

Berger spent his first six weeks studying at the Arabic Language Institute in Fes, Morocco, where he lived in a villa with other students from his language school. While he enjoyed learning from his teachers, Berger says that the highlight of his time in Fes was the extraordinary community environment: “My language school was built around a central garden, where all the students and instructors from different levels would hang out together. The language school shared space with the American Language Center, so a lot of my friends from this space were Moroccans studying or teaching English. We drank a ton of coffee, ate lunch together (couscous every Friday), and had a lot of interesting conversations in Arabic and in English.” Although many days were spent doing local activities, he made sure to explore the area around Fes. One such adventure led him to Fes el Bali, one of the largest and oldest cities in the world; while Berger had many other adventures, this daytrip stood out because it was led by a professor who grew up in the old city, and included exploring his old haunts, meeting his childhood friends, and sampling his favorite food.

Never one to miss an opportunity to travel, Berger followed up his time in Fes with a one-week jaunt around Spain. He then spent his final two weeks of his trip in Rabat, Morocco at the Qalam wa Lawh Center for Arabic Studies. Berger explained that these final weeks were significantly different from the beginning of his trip: “Rabat is a capital city and it feels like one; it's newer and more cosmopolitan. I had a much easier time settling in, I think in part because by that time I had spent a good chunk of time in Morocco and improved my Arabic and in part because Rabat is just an easier city.” Unlike the first portion of his trip, Berger lived with a host family, with whom he got to share many special moments and partake in the holiday Eid Al-Adha, or “Festival of the Sacrifice”. Although it was an extraordinary experience, he recalls, he never quite got used to seeing the traditional animal sacrifice.

What stands out most to Berger as he reflects on his summer adventure is the fact that he was traveling alone. At UChicago, there are several ways to create a global experience; many students choose a study abroad program that involves traveling with a cohort of their peers, generally taking courses together. Berger, however, used his grant to travel to a place where he knew no one. The experience of learning to navigate an environment where foreigners stick out, he explains, is part of what made his experience unforgettable. Although the lesson of how to travel abroad and navigate a new environment alone was his biggest challenge, it is also the reason he considers this trip to be one of the most formative and valuable experiences of his college years. “Stepping out of my comfortable environment was challenging,” he explains, “but I needed to do it to learn that I could do it. I am a more confident person because of it. I had to be less cautious and more humble to make it work. I had to stop being so guarded and anxious to start feeling at home. I had to stop worrying about being awkward to start making friends. I had to stop caring about embarrassing myself to start using my Arabic in real life. My experience became a rewarding one only once I allowed myself to be a little more vulnerable and a little less afraid.”

Berger encourages students to consider FLAG grants, as they are a fantastic way to create an open-ended experience for yourself using resources and support from the university. But his biggest piece of advice for future FLAGgers is also his simplest: “Be brave.”

If you listen to third-year Eliana Melmed recount memories of her UChicago experience thus far, you’ll hear many where she’s surrounded by students as they studied for class, attended moot court team meetings, or worked on visual media assignments for the College’s social media pages; but you’ll also hear a few instances when she was surrounded by students who were a little bit younger – approximately 16 years younger, to be exact.

During her first year at UChicago, Eliana was one of the 500 students working with children in the greater community on Chicago’s south side as a part of UChicago’s Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP). The program, established in 1976, now engages with over 4,000 local children each year at 50 different sites. Twice each week, Eliana would head over to Burke Elementary School to fulfill her role as a teacher’s assistant in a kindergarten classroom. “I got involved because I wanted to find a way to be involved in the greater Hyde Park community,” she explains. “Working with NSP was a great way to experience Hyde Park outside of UChicago's campus while also giving back to the community around us.”

Eliana, a public policy major also studying Media Arts and Design, smiles as she remembers one of her favorite things about her NSP experience. “I started working a few months after the school year started, and the moment I first walked into the classroom the kids dubbed me ‘New Teacher.’ Right up until the last day of the year, every time I walked into the classroom, they would shout ‘New Teacher is here!!!!’ and surround me in a big group hug. I felt such warmth from my students and was so proud to see them graduate to first grade!”

While she doesn’t know what her post-college life has in store for her quite yet, her time as a teacher’s assistant did solidify her love of working with children. It also gave her and her fellow volunteers a great chance to learn about the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system firsthand: “Coming from a different state, I didn't know so much about what life in Chicago was like outside of the UChicago bubble. My involvement with NSP let me gain real experience in a classroom while also learning more about the Chicago Public School system in general.”

Despite Eliana’s love of children, she didn’t come to UChicago knowing that she wanted to work with NSP. Like many students, after her first year was underway and she had settled in, she found herself with some free time that she wanted to fill with community service. Upon discovering NSP, she felt drawn to the organization because she had never had the opportunity to assist children directly in a classroom setting. After applying and jumping into her role, it was clear that this was a great fit.

NSP is only one of many avenues for UChicago students to get involved and give back to their community in a meaningful and hands-on way. Eliana advises high school students to be on the lookout for opportunities that already carry some meaning that would also push them outside their comfort zone. “Go ahead and try something new – if you don't like it, you can move on to the next thing! I was with NSP for my first year of college, and it taught me a lot. I ultimately decided not to continue during my second year because there were other clubs and opportunities I wanted to try. Even so, I'm so grateful for my time with NSP and know that my college experience would not have been the same without it.” You can learn more about NSP and the many ways in which students can participate here.

Goldblatt and Torre teamed up to make this event happen, with Goldblatt handling the technical aspects while Torre took on the communications tasks. The two first years met at the very beginning of their UChicago journey during a pre-orientation program in Austin, Texas focusing on digital media and marketing. “We remained friends on campus and discovered that we both love to play guitar; what started as a plan to jam together turned into what eventually became UC Tiny Dorm Concerts,” Torre recalled.

“I remember the exact moment I had the idea to host the Tiny Dorm Room Concert,” Goldblatt explained. “I was at a house concert in Denver this past summer before I arrived on campus and I immediately texted my friends I had met [at the pre-orientation program and on the class’s Facebook group] about the idea. They also loved the idea and they helped make this idea become a reality.” From the UChicago technical equipment that they were able to borrow to the overwhelming support from residential assistants (RAs) to the eager participation from first years across different houses, Goldblatt and Torre agree that the resources at UChicago allowed this idea to spring to life.

The event was proof of the talent and originality flowing through UChicago’s students. “My favorite moment of the process was holding soundcheck,” Torre said. “Though the moment may seem small, having all of the artists finally in the room with all the camera’s in place and microphones in check, was the time where Andrew and I could finally sit back and say ‘wow, this is really happening.’ It was an awesome feeling of accomplishment and excitement.” Both hope that the event is inspiration to prospective students to use college as an opportunity to branch out, take chances, and learn from their peers.

It doesn’t seem that the creativity will stop anytime soon: “After experiencing this innovative taste of creativity on campus, Andrew and I are running wild with all kinds of ideas... keep a lookout for the UC Tiny Dorm Podcast coming soon!” While there may be more Tiny Dorm Concert excitement in our future, those who don’t want to wait can find footage of the February event here.

After completing her summer research, Maryam emailed Dr. Ko, a past professor, to explain how much she enjoyed and experience and ask how she could get involved even further. When he offered her a role in his lab, she eagerly accepted. Being a biology buff since high school, Maryam has been involved in research for most of her time on campus, she explains: “I’ve been engaged in research since winter of my first year, where I started researching in a neuroscience lab. In that lab, I got to run EEG studies on human test subjects to analyze their natural activity during behavioral experiments. In both of these experiences, all I had to do was email the professor to see if they had any availability, and from there I set up a meeting, and it was really as easy as that.”

Maryam’s multiple research experiences in biology and neuroscience have only increased her passion for research: “I have realized that there is truly always more to be discovered and that there is still so much out there in the realm of Biology that is left unknown.” Getting the chance to present her own findings from her summer research at the Katen Scholars/Potter Fellows Symposium was a particularly impactful part of her college experience. “It was really cool to see all the hard work I'd put in come to fruition,” she explains. “I have gotten to pursue crazy research opportunities that I didn’t even know existed when I was in high school. Looking back on the past few years of my college experience, I’m really amazed by the opportunities that have been available to me, and especially those that I’ve been able to engage with.”

Being entertainment and campus editor for MODA, UChicago’s expansive fashion and lifestyle club, usually means writing content about music, fashion and video games or editing articles. But this quarter he got the opportunity to do something a little different. This year the MODA blog started creating original editorial content, with Joseph directing the first of these fashion and beauty shoots. “Directing entails many things such as styling the outfits, choosing the location and lighting and organizing a photographer, models and creative team for hair and makeup,” he explains. He began conceptualizing the shoot near the end of fall quarter. The shooting was carried out during third week of winter quarter, taking approximately a month in total.”

This isn’t a new interest of Joseph’s, who is pursuing a double major psychology and comparative human development and a minor in media arts & design; instead, it’s one that he brought with him to UChicago. “Fashion has always been a keen interest of mine - both my parents work in the industry. But it was massively out of my comfort zone to do more than just style myself. Thankfully, we have an amazing team of students on the blog who were able to help me with the aspects I was less comfortable with such as photography, lighting and makeup.” Getting involved in MODA has been a great way for Joseph to share his passion with other students and play a role in the UChicago community. His first experience with the group was modeling for them during their annual winter fashion show during his second year. The event also happens to be the largest off-campus student-run event of the year. Persuaded to get more involved, he then applied to write during his third year, afterwards earning the title of section editor.

For Joseph, the most rewarding part of directing his own photoshoot was seeing the many models wearing outfits he had styled for them. “In my head I knew exactly what I wanted everybody to look like, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was actually able to execute that vision and see all the work pay off. It made all the hard work immediately worth it.” Rather than waiting until the end of the undergraduate experience, he encourages any students who are interested in creative work to get involved earlier: “Get out there and shoot that project, write that song, code that game or whatever else it is you are nervous about trying; you just might surprise yourself.”