Pullman Scholar Spotlight: Maribell Heredia, ’17

Get to know our Pullman Scholar Maribell Heredia, ’17, a neuroscience major at University of Illinois at Chicago.

Why Neuroscience? Maribell is drawn to neuroscience because she finds the processes of the brain fascinating, and this major will allow her to understand how people think and why they act in certain ways. During this past spring semester, Maribell took a psychology course and her professor was in the cognitive neuroscience field—his teaching inspired her to pursue this major.

In her spare time, Maribell likes to:  Explore museums, take walks along the lake shore, and meet up with friends.

This past May, Maribell finished her first year at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She is on track to complete a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. Her main aspiration is to attend a prestigious medical school and become a doctor.

Before starting college, Maribell enjoyed volunteering at her local hospital, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, and she worked part-time at a bakery. She has made strides to stay involved and give back to others during her first year of college. Maribell became an active member of Society of Future Physicians (SFP), which is a student organization dedicated to teaching students about the medical field and offers hands-on experience, such as a Suture Clinic. Through the Health Education Program subcommittee of SFP, she creates presentations for under-resourced public schools about nutrition, mental health, sex education, and drug prevention.

This summer, Maribell became an Honors Ambassador. “As an ambassador of the Honors College, I am responsible for a group of eight first-year students. Throughout their first year at UIC, I will help them adjust to the enormous transition of starting college. I am enjoying being a mentor to students that are passing through milestones that I have already passed.”

Keep up the great work, Maribell! We hope your second year at UIC is as rewarding as your first!