Upon admission to Stony Brook University in 2007, I was selected to join the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and participate in a special summer session featuring courses in Anatomy and Problem Solving. I was connected with an upper-class mentor who aided in my transition to college and supervised me in preparing a research paper and presentation on Sleep Apnea for the end of the summer session. 

Following my presentation to my classmates and program guests, I was invited to join the CSTEP Advisory Board on which I served until May 2011. As part of the Advisory Board, I worked along with the program directors to implement events and initiatives geared toward the academic and social needs of our STEM student members.

As a member of CSTEP, I had the chance to serve two semesters as a Teaching Assistant for a group of high school students taking a STEP Anatomy class at the Stony Brook University Medical Center. I also had the opportunity to participate in the Science and Research Awareness Series at the Stony Brook University Medical Center; a month-long program featuring guest speakers in careers across the healthcare field and presentations on cutting-edge medical technology. 

CSTEP also allowed me to take part in two programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). First, a one-week winter "mini-semester" giving me a overview of all the departments at BNL and the research projects being conducted. I returned to BNL in Summer 2010 for a two-month internship in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory & Biology Department.

Finally, I was fortunate to have two opportunities to attend the CSTEP Statewide Conference. In 2009, I attended as the Student Ambassador for the Stony Brook chapter. In 2011, I attended to present my research from BNL and was awarded the Special Distinction Award in Natural Sciences for Student Oral Presentation.