Spotlights
Great Starts: Audrey Makope ’22
Great Starts: Audrey Makope ’22
From time to time, we like to showcase a new SNC grad who’s entered the workplace or grad school. Success stories like these are pretty common. In fact, 95 percent of SNC's Class of 2022 alumni who responded to a survey said they were employed, in grad school or doing service work within nine months of graduating.
Degree program: Biology
Plans after graduation: Audrey is attending medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wis.
Why did you choose to study biology at St. Norbert College?
I chose St. Norbert because I immediately noticed that there was a lot of involvement from the students and staff, especially in athletics. My track & field coach wanted me to be here and wanted to develop me as an athlete, but she also went above and beyond. She knew I wanted to pursue biology, so she set me up with professors, and I got to sit in on classes. I got a taste of what life could be like at St. Norbert. No other school I was looking at even did half of that.
What has being a student-athlete meant to you?
Athletics have been one of the most pivotal parts of my St. Norbert experience. My coaches saw something in me as a 17-year-old coming in, when I didn’t even know if I wanted to participate in college sports. They took me in like a family member. I enjoyed the challenges track & field provided me; it helped me push through physical and mental blocks. The coaches helped me put my future first and always encouraged me academically. So many people here have put time and energy into my future that I feel motivated to be successful.
How were you able to mold your education to meet future ambitions?
I did research with Dr. Hunnicutt (Biology) my entire junior year. I got to become familiar with lab procedures and the process of a true research project. He invited me to stay over the summer to work with him, and at the end I had the privilege of presenting that research.
I always wanted to pursue medicine, and everything fell into place when I started classes. I gained a lot out of the smaller classes and the faculty went into great detail to give students information on their personal interests. At St. Norbert, everyone is dedicated to developing students and making them better people in every way when they leave the college.
How did St. Norbert help you transition into medical school?
I feel as ready as possible. St. Norbert has a great relationship with the Medical College of Wisconsin, and with that, I think the transition will be very smooth. I had Human Anatomy in my last semester at SNC, and that class is nearly identical to a class I’ll have in my first semester of medical school. It’s nice to have that comfort of knowing I can succeed.
Dr. Bailey (Biology) and Dr. Hunnicutt both wrote letters of recommendation for my medical school application. They were incredibly helpful, setting me up with mock interviews and both had a good sense of what questions would be asked. They took time out of their schedules, on top of classes, to really help me out, and I’ll always be grateful for that. And Dr. Joel Mann (Philosophy) helped me with my personal statement and stayed involved throughout the whole process.