About a month before graduation each semester, students, faculty mentors, family and friends gather to celebrate students with the highest GPAs in their departments within the College of Science. This event is the Westfall Scholars Luncheon and has taken place for 20 years. The attendees enjoy a meal before each student takes the stage to share their appreciation for their peers, professors and family. Oftentimes, the students bring an entire room to tears with stories of their perseverance, appreciation and success.
The award, originally known as the Senior Scholars but updated to honor the contributions made by the founding dean of the College of Science, David Westfall, provides students with a monetary award and an opportunity to thank those who supported them during their time at the University. Westfall and his wife, Shirley, attend every semester, sometimes joined by their daughter Allison who works at the University’s School of Medicine.
Nine students were Westfall Scholars this fall. Below, they share some information about their post-graduation plans, their hopes for the future, and some advice for incoming college students.
Brianna Barnes, Psychology, Human Development and Family Science
What are your plans after graduating?
I plan to study further in the 性爱五色天, Reno's Human Development & Family Science graduate program.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
I would recommend that anyone entering college takes the time to appreciate the opportunity each class gives them. Although not every class you take is applicable to your major, it can be valuable in what you will learn.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
I see myself as a professor at a college or university spreading my love for the field through teaching.
Hayden Peeples, Geography (minor in business administration)
What are your plans after graduating?
I plan to move back to Las Vegas to be close to family and work in local government to help the larger Nevada community.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Talk to your professors and show up to class, stay engaged with the course material as much as you can.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
Hopefully owning a house.
Om Patel, Microbiology and Immunology
What are your plans after graduating?
As I am graduating early, I will spend my time working in the Tahoe operating room at Renown, doing research in Dr. Grainger's lab, and exploring my hobbies before attending medical school to continue my path to becoming a doctor.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Don't limit yourself. I remember my first day of college and it was a difficult change. I had never been involved in extracurriculars or held a job. I was timid and didn't have many tangible skills that would have shaped me into a strong and capable physician. During my undergraduate studies, I made it my mission to explore. This gave me a strong purpose and motivated me to step far outside my comfort zone and reshape my perspective on countless areas of life. I was involved in Kesem, HART and ASUN. I was a teaching assistant for Biology and worked in Dr. Grainger's research lab. I was awarded the Silver Paw, NURA and INBRE UROP. I surprised myself with my accomplishments and outgoingness to develop these essential skills through fulfilling experiences that interested me. I hope to inspire the next generation of professionals to commit to their growth and explore deliberately to truly find their place at the 性爱五色天, Reno and in society by being limitless.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, I hope to be a practicing physician in Nevada. As a developing leader, I will be developing initiatives to directly address disparities in Nevada's healthcare and inspire others to join me to create a collaborative healthcare network. I strive to explore so I will likely be learning a new sport, exploring diverse cultures through travel, or simply expanding my horizons in any way possible.
Hailey Snook, Psychology (minors in addiction and treatment services and women’s, gender and sexuality studies)
What are your plans after graduating?
Since I am graduating early, I am planning on taking a gap year before pursuing further education. I want to take some time to travel and spend time with my family and friends. Once I choose to go back to school, I am hoping to find a grad program that will allow me to use the education I have earned here at the 性爱五色天, Reno to work with children in some capacity pertaining to my psychology major or tying it in with my addiction treatment minor.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Something I would tell an incoming college freshman is to truly dive into all of the activities and events that the University puts on. I definitely didn't participate in as much here at the University that I wish I would have. Join clubs, put yourself out there, and truly appreciate the time you are spending here. It may feel like a really long four years, but they certainly fly by and you want to be able to look back on your time at the University happily. I didn't do as much as I would have liked, but everything I was able to do has become some of my most fond memories!
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, I see myself with a stable career, hopefully in a psychological field, and living somewhere in the Pacific Northwest allowing me to feel connected to myself and nature. I hope that I would have traveled a lot by then and allowed myself to immerse myself within many cultures and experiences before really settling down. I hope to have a strong and supportive community of family and friends around me who continue to encourage me to further myself and always pursue more!
Derek Elquist, Biology
What are your plans after graduating?
After graduating, I will be working at Charles River taking care of animals. I want to continue learning everything I can about animal behavior and welfare.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
I would tell incoming freshman to take advantage of your time in college to explore as many different fields, experiences, and ideas as possible. I came into college studying engineering but realized I had a much stronger passion for ecology, animal sciences, and arts while taking electives. College is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and who you really want to be.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, I hope to still be working with animals. I don't know if that will be at my current job, as a vet, in wildlife rehabilitation, or whatever else but as long as I am improving their lives, I will be happy.
Jake Stanovich-Rubalcava, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering
What are your plans after graduating?
I'm going to take some time off after graduating to think about what I'd like to do next. I hope to either decide on an area to find a job in, or take time to do research on topics that I could use for a master's thesis and return to the 性爱五色天, Reno for graduate school for mathematics.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
Talk to your professors about possible research or projects they're working on and see if anything interests you and if you could join in. Also look at the school's clubs and join ones that sound interesting or fun since getting hands on with club activities can be a great addition to the more theoretical side of classes. Plus, you'll meet a lot of people at different levels and make some great friends. I think above all, don't stress out too much about grades or assignments. While you do need to worry about them somewhat, I would argue that it's more important to focus on actually learning the concepts, doing projects, and making connections. Lastly, don't forget that you get out what you put in, so do your best.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
Honestly, I have no idea.
Dipin Kapila, Neuroscience
What are your plans after graduating?
After graduation, I plan to gain experience working as a medical assistant for a semester, with the goal of attending medical school next fall.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
As a freshman it is very important to try new things. I think college is a great place to explore new interests, join different organizations, and take classes that excite you. In my college journey I got involved in a wide variety of organizations and loved all of them! I would encourage keeping an open mind and getting involved early.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
I aspire to be a practicing physician in 15 years, providing care in the Northern Nevada region. In addition to practicing clinically, I hope to actively contribute to advancing community health initiatives and addressing disparities in healthcare access. Being involved in my community is something I am extremely passionate about, and I hope to continue that throughout my career.
Logan Coons, Chemistry
What are your plans after graduating?
I would like to be someone in the legal field that can work closely with scientists through environmental work and patents.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
If you are genuinely curious about something do not be afraid to ask “why?” Often, this leads to real-world applications and gives you an idea of whether you want to pursue something further or not.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
I see myself working with inventors and entrepreneurs to take their ideas to the next level. Alternatively, I see myself working as an environmental lawyer focused on water, air and food quality.
Julian Ness, Psychology (minor in sociology)
What are your plans after graduating?
I was offered a position with my current team at Truckee Meadows Community College and will continue to work for their Foundation following graduation. I am twenty-nine, and this degree is an incredible accomplishment for me, so I think I will take some time for myself before I decide on continuing with graduate school. I found a graduate school in Boston for psychoanalysis, my psychotherapy specialty of choice, and if I do complete a master's, it will be there and in that discipline. My academic passions lie with psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, but my lifelong goal with my career is to help people, and I can help people in a myriad of fields, including the non-profit sector I currently work in, so I want to leave that door open in case I find something else I want to do with my life.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to an incoming college freshman?
I was a non-traditional student, so my advice might be a bit different. I noticed over my time in college that few students reach out and contact someone when something goes wrong - anything from a grade being entered inaccurately to a missed deadline or issues with a professor - and it's critical for success in college to contact the people that may be able to help you. If something seems futile and hopeless, it often isn't, and you just haven't yet found the right person with the right info who can help. With enough persistence, you can accomplish many things. If you don't get the help you need, don't give up until you get it, no matter how hard it is. I also would encourage every freshman to apply for all the scholarships that they can apply for; there are a number of organizations here in Reno that give out private scholarships and getting help with paying for school can be a difference of thousands of dollars. If I could impart one idea to incoming students, it would be that it is usually worth trying to find a better solution to a problem, no matter the difficulty in solving it, rather than just allowing circumstances to run their course, and you learn much about yourself through these challenges.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, I will be 45 years old, and I have a hard time imagining that far into the future. It would be nice if I were a psychoanalyst with a practice of my own, working to help people in the field of therapy that I like the best, but I don't really "see" my future. Life is very uncertain; my parents planned to open a bookstore after my father's retirement, but my mother passed away a decade ago when I was 19 and my dad was 44, and my dad had to change the plans he had for the rest of his life. At 45, I will be a year older than my father when he became a widower. I would like to be honest here – I really just want to be happy. Whether I'm working in the field of my degree or have continued at TMCC the entire time, I hope that in 15 years I am happy and more or less healthy and have people in my life that I love. I hope that whatever comes my way in the coming decades is positive, and that in 15 years I'm satisfied with my accomplishments in life thus far. I think that's the most any of us can wish for.
