Hi! My name is Eva Macias and I am a biology major on the Pre-Vet and Zoology track entering my second year here at UCF!  I graduated from Riverdale High School in 2024 from my hometown, Fort Myers, Florida. My favorite class so far at UCF is Biology II. I think I found it more interesting than Biology because I like the organismal and ecological aspects of biology more than the cellular aspects; plus, I’m really interested in evolution! One of my favorite professors so far must be Professor Rex for Intro to Chem. His classes were always really fun, he liked to joke around and always played music in the beginning, so it was always a really nice environment to enter. I also really liked that he did a lot of practice problems where he physically did them with us on the monitor, I think that really made it more understandable. I love GEMS because even in such a big school I think we are able to create our own little community to support each other through the hardships we face with not only being a STEM major but also a university student overall! I hope that as a mentor I can create this community with my mentees and create a welcoming environment and connection with them as they navigate their first year at UCF! Some advice I have for incoming EXCEL students is to not compare yourself with other students. Sometimes you might feel behind, I know I definitely did after taking a gap after high school; but it’s important to focus on your path and your goals. Outside of school I love reading, listening to music, building Legos, and I am a big coffee enthusiast.