Hello! My name is Paige Lota; I am a Biomedical Science major in pre-med track with a minor in finance and chemistry. This will be my third year at UCF. I graduated from Penncrest High School in 2024 in Media, Pennsylvania. My favorite class at UCF so far has been Physics. What made this class my favorite was the professor. Professor Cencillo Abad made me look forward to going to the class because of his teaching style. One of my favorite memories is when he filled a plastic bottle with ethanol and used a lighter to make it fly like a rocket. Along with that, he found a way to connect all of the material in a way that actually made sense. He is the only professor I’ve known for not reading off a slide. I decided to join GEMS and become a mentor because I want to give back what I have gotten from the EXCEL program. Being a part of a program like this provides you with unmatched resources and connections to peers who are going through the same classes and phases of life as you. I want to continue this support system and grow this sense of community. My word of advice to incoming students is to take a step back and enjoy life: remind yourself why you want to be in STEM. As for myself outside of school, I like to dance, go to the gym, visit theme parks, spend time at the barn, and play video games.