Name: Diana Ashley
Hometown: Conway, AR
Major: B.S. Biological Sciences, Pre-Professional Studies, and B.A. Philosophy
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2024
Fun Fact: I am an Eagle Scout.
Why A-State: I loved the community here and felt that this was somewhere I could call home for four years.
Clubs and Organization: American Chemical Society-President, Pre-SOMA-Vice President, Pre-Professional Club, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador.
Favorite Course and Why: Immunology because of Dr. Neuman-Lee. She actively cares that we learn, and the Communicating Immunology project is a fun resource that we have to engage with the content.
Advice to Freshmen: Do not be intimidated by college, get ingrained on campus and four years will fly by faster than you may think.
Name: Courtney Babcock
Hometown: Paragould, AR
Major: B.S. Biological Sciences, Pre-Professional Studies with a minor in Spanish
Expected Graduation Date: May 2024
Fun Fact: I love all things involving running, reading, or coffee!
Why A-State: I really liked the campus and all of the faculty and staff I met when touring!
Clubs and Organization: Student Philanthropy Council, Honors College Association, Women in Science, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why: Genetics, because the course material was very interesting and the class tied together knowledge from every other course very well.
Favorite Quote: “If you're happy doing what you're doing, then nobody can tell you you're not successful." -Harry Styles
Name: Marin Hirata
Hometown: Saitama, Japan
Major: B.S. Biology - Emphasis in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Expected Graduation Date: Fall 2024
Fun Fact: I love playing volleyball!
Why A-State: I wanted to study biology in America, and A-State provided a lot of biology courses I wanted to take!
Clubs and Organization: Marine Biology Club, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why: Entomology - It is so much fun to learn insect body structures and mechanisms!
Advice to Freshmen: Enjoy your college life! Attend your classes, and if you need help, we are always here for you!
Name: Armari Jackson
Hometown: McGehee, AR
Major: B.S. Biological Sciences, Pre-Professional Studies
Expected Graduation Date: May 2025
Fun Fact: Egypt is my dream vacation destination.
Why A-State: I chose A-State because it is a larger university with many resources and opportunities that will help in terms of my career goals. However, at the same time it is still small enough to where you can form a sense of community and belonging.
Clubs and Organization: Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students - President, Honors College Association, Black Student Association, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why: Genetics. It appeals to my sense of curiosity. Many things are sort of "proven", but the field is still so relatively new that there is always something you can investigate or ask questions about.
Favorite Quote: "Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations." - Dr. Mae Jemison
Name: Matthew Luster
Hometown: Brookland, AR
Major: B.S. Biotechnology
Expected Graduation Date: May 2024
Fun Fact: I regularly run the St. Jude half marathon!
Why A-State: I chose ASU because of the campus culture and the great faculty! During highschool I had the opportunity to work at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute on campus and met some of the professors for the CoSM at that time. Their mentorship made me realize that A-State was a great place to be.
Clubs and Organization: A-State ROTC, Honors College, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador.
Favorite Course and Why: Genetics with Dr. Gustafson! The material was extremely interesting, and genetics is the foundation for most other classes I've had.
Advice to Freshmen: "Go to class and explore Arkansas while you're here. There are some really cool places in the state to visit!"
Name: Braden Ross
Hometown: Nashville, AR
Major: B.S. Biological Sciences, Pre-Professional Studies
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2025
Fun Fact: I have two cats, one of which my friends and I endearingly refer to as “the creature.”
Why A-State: The community feeling and small class sizes.
Clubs and Organization: Honors College Association, Student Government Association, Pre-Professional Club, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why:Honors Study Abroad because I got to study abroad in Belgium and The Netherlands!
Favorite Quote:“If you’re not feeling everything, you’re missing everything” - Adele
Name: Ethan Saffle
Hometown: Bryant, AR
Major: B.S. Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation - Emphasis in Wildlife with a minor in Precision Agriculture
Expected Graduation Date: May 2024
Fun Fact: I have a dog named Loki who is a german shepherd mixed with a blue heeler.
Why A-State: I chose A-state because it is not too far from home and had the Major that I wanted.
Clubs and Organization: Wildlife Society, Environmental club, American Chemical Society, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why: Wildlife Biology, because it connected a lot of ideas from my other courses, and I got to write a wildlife management plan.
Advice to Freshmen: "Make sure to attend class and take notes!! With that in mind make sure you always have time to do something you love."
Name: Alexx Weaver
Hometown: Lonoke, AR
Major: B.S. Biotechnology and B.S. Biology - Emphasis in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2024
Fun Fact: I have a springer spaniel named Berkeley
Why A-State: I loved that it felt like a family.
Clubs and Organization: Student Research Council, Student Research Ambassador, Red Wolves for Red Wolves, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Ambassador
Favorite Course and Why: My favorite course is Parasitology! There is nothing in this world that captivates me like microorganisms, cellular biology, and the interplay between those two that affects human health.
Favorite Quote: “Life’s a garden, dig it” - Joe Dirt
