Skye McMorris

Studied abroad at VU Amsterdam, Netherlands during Fall 2022 

 My study abroad experience in Amsterdam involved living with people from all over the world, getting to learn about their cultures and seeing how we interact through all of the idiosyncrasies in our life experiences. I loved exploring the city and it felt like being in an entirely different world riding my bike alongside the canals. I got to travel to incredible places in Europe and I made meaningful connections with the wonderful people that I met. There were so many little moments scattered throughout my time that were cumulatively so fulfilling, such as watching the World Cup with people from around the world, going to museums, or spending a random Monday evening soaking in music at a jazz bar. From the grandiose sight of walking through the Louvre or personally touching moments, such as seeing the sunset over the ocean for the first time, my study abroad experience created an overflowing scrapbook of memories imprinted on my mind.  

 I am currently working on my honors thesis studying the symbiosis that occurs between legumes and a soil bacteria known as rhizobia using the genetic modification tool CRISPR-Cas9. I aspire to pursue a career in research and aim to take a gap year before attending graduate school to earn my PhD. I hope to be a globally connected scientist, and my time in Amsterdam led me to apply for a Fulbright Open Research Award in Belgium, through which I could possibly spend 9 months studying Alzheimer’s Disease at a research institute.