My name is Cassie Spielman and I'm a junior here at UCF majoring in biology. I graduated from Boone High School in 2011. Although I am a biology major, my favorite class was psychology. I loved the class and found it incredibly interesting. The professor was fantastic, and made going to class really enjoyable. All the professors I've had so far here have been so helpful and approachable. While classes are difficult, they're not impossible, mostly because of knowing there is so much help available here. I decided to get involved in the GEMS program because I've been through the transition from high school to college, and want the opportunity to make it a little easier for someone else going through it. I hope that I can be like a big sister to my mentees and help them with anything they might need, even with things that aren't related to classes or EXCEL. Apart from school, I have a job at Florida Hospital as a psychiatric tech, and I love spending time with my family and friends. Some words of wisdom I have for the incoming EXCEL freshmen would firstly be to take advantage of every opportunity this program has to offer, even if it doesn't seem important at the time. Next, get involved in a variety of other things! Stay busy and do things that help you de‐stress with other people who enjoy doing the same things you do. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of people here at UCF who are just waiting to answer questions. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming school year and can't wait to get to know everyone!! 🙂