Student Spotlight: Avery Jean-Baptiste

Meet Avery from Port Jefferson, New York. He’s a sophomore majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology. 

Avery gets encouragement from his family, many of whom are in the medical/healthcare field: “They inspire me, encouraging me to persevere and always go above and beyond.” He also benefits from being surrounded by peers in Mu Epsilon Delta (MED), a co-ed fraternity for those who are studying in the pre-medical field, which has a presence on campus: “They help me better myself academically and overall as a person.” 

So far, his favorite classes have been Introductory Psychology (PSYCH100) with Tammy Rahhal—the associate vice provost of undergraduate education and a senior lecturer II in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences—and Introductory Biology Laboratory (BIOL153). 

When not in class, Avery keeps busy with activities hosted by MED. “It’s been enjoyable so far. I would say that we’re really involved with the campus—we do a bunch of fundraisers, philanthropy, charity. I’m able to surround myself with a bunch of people that have the same life goals and aspirations as me, and they’re in the same field of study.” 

Looking past graduation, Avery wants to get to work: “I just want to go full send into grad school. Hopefully I’m going to find my field of study while I’m in undergrad...that’s what that’s for. But as of right now, being in an environment where everything is rapidly happening, like emergency medicine—I feel like I perform pretty well under pressure, so being in that field would be exciting for me.”