Hi everyone! My name is Alyssa Ryan, and I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a Health Science minor. This will be my third year at UCF. In 2022, I graduated from Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. My favorite class that I have taken so far is Anatomy, specifically the Lab section. This class really helped spark my interest in the human body, and I got to learn some very interesting things that I never knew before. My favorite professor at UCF has got to be Dr. Beazley. I had her as my Chemistry 1 professor during my first semester and I felt that she made not only the transition from High School to college very easy, since this class had mostly first-year students, but she also explained the subject very well and set each student up for success. I chose to be a part of GEMs because the best way I learn is by listening to others’ experiences, and I feel that being paired with a mentor as someone who knew very little about college life, it is extremely beneficial. The feeling of having someone to go to that you know has most likely been through a similar experience is very reassuring. In my free time, I really enjoy reading, listening to music, going to the gym, and spending time with my close friends.

Words of wisdom: Make time for personal interest! Classes can be overwhelming so allowing yourself to do something that you can enjoy without using your brain will create the perfect balance.