Commencement Spotlight: Alicia Weadock

Alicia Weadock    
College of Health Sciences and Professions
Nutrition Science major, Biological Sciences minor and Diabetes certificate
New Knoxville, Ohio
 
What are your next steps or plans for the future?
After graduation, I will be attending OHIO’s Heritage College of Medicine for medical school with the hopes of becoming a family medicine physician and practicing in a rural area.

What was your ah-ha moment at OHIO—that point where you said to yourself, “I’ve got this!”?
Passing my first organic chemistry test. I knew if I could do that, I would be just fine in my major and I stopped having so much imposter syndrome!

Why did you choose OHIO?  
I chose OHIO because I was accepted into the Early Assurance Program with OU-HCOM, which felt like a calling and because I really like how it is in a rural area similar to where I grew up! I could have never survived in a big city.

Who were your favorite professors and how did they make an impact on your life?
Angie Bohyer, she’s amazing! She is flexible in her teaching and truly wants all her students to succeed. Angie is still interested in her students even after they leave her class, we still meet with her as seniors! It made me so sad on the last day I had class with her!

Deb Murray, also amazing, even though I only had her for two classes and she is retired. She was my advisor and helped me feel more prepared in my first year of the program and reassured me I was on the right track. 

Dr. Klaus Himmeldirk, he was very knowledgeable about organic chemistry and really wanted his students to be too!

Dr. Tanda. He was my advisor for the Early Assurance Program and he was the best cheerleader I ever had. One of the most supportive people at OU! He encouraged me to dream big and always reassured me whenever I had self-doubt!

Dr. Klein. He is so passionate about wanting his students to succeed.

What was the hardest hill you had to climb (not counting Jeff Hill) at OHIO? And how did you overcome challenges or obstacles in your path?
The hardest hill to overcome was learning online during the pandemic and taking my organic chemistry final exam at home in total isolation. I felt very alone and did not know where to go to ask questions because I felt like none of my peers knew the answers or at least we couldn’t explain them online as well as the total anxiety that comes with a class like this! It was hard to stay socially connected to the friends I had made in my first six months at OU after we were forced to stay home which was states away from my friends!

What are your favorite OHIO memories?
My favorite memories at OHIO were the athletic sporting events. I also really enjoyed the different learning opportunities I had and the new people I got to meet along the way. 

What’s the one thing you would tell a new OHIO student not to miss?
I would tell them not to miss social events for studying! I look back and wish I would have been less serious about getting perfect grades and enjoyed the process more because it goes too fast! I would tell them to attend sporting events, join clubs, hangout with friends, celebrate in the homecoming festivities, and try to meet all the new friends they possibly can!