Alen Poehlman
My name is Alen Poehlman, and I am currently in my second year at the University of Washington, studying Biochemistry and Music Performance. I took my first UW course in high school, spending the year learning about human anatomy and physiology and giving a small presentation on the current state of malaria. While preparing for this presentation, I found myself fascinated by the ways researchers outmaneuvered the disease, training our immune systems through innovative techniques and saving countless lives. This first exposure to research led me to join a research group within my first year at UW, where I have since been studying that very same disease.
With hundreds of hours in the lab, authorship on a Nature Communications paper, an upcoming summer immunology internship at UCLA, and plans for a potential independent project in the upcoming school year, I have made considerable advancements in my career path in immunological research. I can pursue my studies and dedicate the hours needed to understanding these complex diseases while working only a few hours every week at my part-time job. This would not have been possible without the generous support of groups like the Class of 1954.
The research community as a whole faces an unprecedented crisis, and sacrifices are having to be made in the pursuit of life-saving discoveries. In these uncertain times, scholarships allow students like myself to dedicate our time to our passions and careers without having to worry about taking on additional debt or choosing work over our educations in order to support ourselves.
By lightening the financial burden college students face today, scholarships like this one contribute to the greatly needed changes of tomorrow. Students of all disciplines rely on the generosity of people who trust in education and recognize the impact it has on the world. I hope to live up to these expectations and continue my studies of immunology in search of life-saving developments against infectious diseases.
Goals
In the rest of my time at UW, I hope to build on my skills as a researcher and develop the confidence and knowledge to develop and pursue my own projects. Beyond my undergraduate studies, I plan on pursuing a PhD in immunology and continuing to work in infectious disease research.
Tips
Don't let yourself be intimidated by your own perceived lack of qualifications relative to other potential applicants! It's important to just put your best into each application and believe in your abilities, too often people will undersell what they are capable of and hesitate to apply, but the only way you will ever be recognized for your achievements through scholarships is to apply to them in the first place!
