4 extraordinary years
Victoria Levasseur ’11 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, majored in biochemistry and molecular biology, with minors in Spanish and music.
What she’s doing now:
Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., researching the role of growth factors and stem cells in preventing damage in glaucoma patients.
What she has to say about Cornell:
Cornell, with its unique block plan, appealed to me because I could continue to do the activities that I loved before entering college, such as playing the cello, volunteering, and being involved with extracurricular activities. The professors are incredibly supportive. And because of the block plan, I was able to study in Bolivia without missing courses, and that is something I couldn’t have done on a semester plan.
Favorite course:
Advanced Spanish Conversation in Bolivia. Spent a block living with a Bolivian family while studying language and culture.
Things she did at Cornell:
- Conducted summer research on Parkinson’s disease in biology Professor Barbara Christie-Pope’s lab
- During the inaugural year of Cornell LEADS (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Distinctive Service), she was one of 18 students selected to attend Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy-sponsored leadership seminars throughout the Midwest
- Participated in an internship on migraines with Dr. Richard Kraig ’71 at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Connections and funding for this internship were created through Cornell’s Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare
- President and founder of Active Minds, a mental health awareness and resource group
- Dr. James Culbertson Cornell Fellow in Biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, where she studied post-traumatic stress disorder
- Played the cello in a Cornell string quartet
- Elected to Phi Beta Kappa
- Worked as a resident assistant and student tutor
- Took part in a summer internship at a medical clinic for low-income families in Cusco, Peru, partially paid for by Cornell’s Levy fund
