Hi! My name is Renee Bilodeau and I’m a Biomedical Sciences Major with a minor in Psychology. I am going into my third year at UCF, and I am very excited! I graduated in 2024 at St. Thomas Aquinas Highschool in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One of my favorite classes so far was my Psychology in Human Development class. I really enjoy learning about cognitive achievements people make as they develop into adults. One of my favorite professors was definitely Professor Yeargain! I loved her class for Biology I and Biology II! Her lessons are so informative, and she makes it easy to understand the material, even my least favorite topics such as Cellular Respiration. I find this program so useful because mentors are able to help and provide advice for the mentees. STEM majors are already hard majors, but with the help of other people who have gone through the same classes or semesters, it makes it easier to know how to
adjust to college life. It also creates a support system that allows people, especially those like me who get overwhelmed, to have their minds put at ease. I love to write, listen to music, bake, and go out with my friends!

Words of advice for the GEMS freshman students: This is from one of my favorite characters in media, Bruce Wayne/Batman. He states, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”