Bachelor at Last

I was able to spend those nine years living at dorms – and studying in the meantime – only thanks to the help of the Kellner Family Foundation, which has fully supported me at Open Gate, a private boarding school, as well as Columbia University afterwards. I am very thankful for this help – undergraduate study of neuroscience at one of the best universities in the world would have been much more complicated, if at all possible, without this generous support. As an expression of my gratitude, I am listing the summary of the most important of my achievements during my adventure on the other side of the pond.

My journey to study in the United States began at Open Gate, boarding school, where I was introduced to the wide range of academic opportunities I had after finishing high school. I started considering studying abroad, which had until then seemed unattainable. Thus, in the spring of my junior year, I applied for a prestigious Summer Program for High School Students at Columbia University, gaining admission shortly thereafter. The KFF generously supported my academic endeavors, thanks to which I could spend three weeks during the following summer in New York, studying Math, Literature, and Academic Writing at a university level – I experienced the gist of what it would be like to study the traditional Core Curriculum here, at Columbia College, which along with the chosen specialty incorporates a wide range of subjects in the humanities. I fell in love with this holistic approach, and so in combination with its unique location in New York City, Columbia University became the academic destination of my dreams.

After I gained my admission to study there in the fall of my senior year, I commenced my undergraduate studies one year later (in the fall of 2010). At that time, I already aspired to become a physician, and so I started to fulfill the pre-medical curriculum consisting of the basic sciences, which is one of the requirements for admission to medical schools in the US. During the second semester of my freshman year, I also joined a cognitive neuroscience laboratory, where I conducted behavioral research of habit during the following three years. In the summer between my sophomore and junior year, I was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which allowed me to work on my research study for three months full-time. As the leading author of this project, I will present its results at a prestigious scientific symposium of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC during this fall.

Besides research, I also diligently focused on the academics, as the all-encompassing education was one of my main motivations to study in the United States, all the more so at Columbia University. Apart from my major subject of study in Neuroscience and Behavior, consisting of courses in Psychology and Neurobiology, I was also able to gain knowledge in disciplines such as Classic Literature, Philosophy, History of Art, History of Classical Music, or History or East Asia. At the same time, I perfected my French, which led to a five-month-long study abroad in Paris during the spring semester of my junior year, where I focused on French language, history, and philosophy. Hence, Columbia University exceeded my expectations: I was able to explore the natural sciences as well as the humanities, which exceptionally expanded my general knowledge for my life afterwards, both personal and professional.

As stated above, I used the support of the Kellner family as widely and as responsibly as possible. I strived to repay their gratitude by my hard work, be it in the laboratory, or at the university. During each of the eight semesters, I was able to receive the Dean’s List award for students with GPA above 3.6. At the end of my undergraduate studies, I was awarded the Latin honors Cum Laude for the academically strongest 25% of the students in the graduating class. Thanks to my scientific research and academic results in my major, I also received the Honors in Biological Sciences, awarded to the top 10% of the students in the field. The commencement itself was an unforgettable experience, during which I was awarded the degree of B. A., the Bachelor of Arts (or in Latin, Baccalaurei in Artibus).

These four years were one amazing experience that affected me for the rest of my life. Even though I enjoyed the beauty of the New York City and gained many friendships that will last long after the graduation, I have to admit that attaining the recognitions described above demanded a lot of endeavor, such that I had not been required to exert before. I am glad, however, that I was able to overcome and truly enjoy this challenge, and I hope that it will become a basis for my academic and career achievements to come.

PS:

Shortly after my graduation, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Hynek Wichterle (grandson of the famous Czech scientist, Dr. Otto Wichterle), who studies stem cells and neural development at Columbia University Medical Campus. At this time, I am also finishing my medical school application, by which I am planning to apply for US medical schools, where I would like to study clinical care combined with biomedical research, in order to capitalize on my academic knowledge as well as my scientific experience.

I would like to encourage everyone who dreams about studying abroad – it is an exceptionally enriching experience, which is definitely worth the hard work and the obstacles on the way there are not unsurmountable, although help of others is sometimes necessary. If you would like to learn more about my experiences or just ask me any other question, do not hesitate to contact me on my e-mail address.