Audrey tells us to take advantage of the city and the Core.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Audrey Czarnecki, CC, Biology (Statistics concentration), McLean, VA

Claim to fame: Graduating in 3 years from Columbia University despite being Bio/Stats/pre-med, Intro Bio TA, Phi Beta Kappa, SURF research, Visual Editor for Bwog, Artist Society Co-President, wrestling, Brazilian Jiujitsu, singing at school concerts and events (e.g., TASA Benefit Concerts), drawing every day.

Where are you going? Still figuring it out! I’ll pursue clinical work/research before heading off to medical school.

What are three things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2030?

1. Take advantage of the city. See a Broadway show, visit a museum, take a walk in Central Park, do anything you desire. There’s so much to do!
2. Big problems today will look small in the future. There were times I was extremely worried about an exam or event or club proceedings. Once they were past, I would look back and wonder why I spent so much time worrying. I lost a lot of precious time that I could have spent with friends or exploring the city or seeing other things on campus like student performances and concerts.
3. Take advantage of the Core. Most of my courses were in STEM, but the Core gave me an opportunity to explore other topics. From LitHum to MusicHum, I got to engage with classic literature, music making, argumentation skills, artistic analysis, and more. Take a break from your major courses and try something new!

“Back in my day…” The campus was open to anyone! There were strangers walking through all the time with their dogs. The protests were an unruly time, but things have quieted since.

Favorite Columbia lore? Many of the professors here are famous and have made incredible discoveries and contributions. Dr. Iva Greenwald worked on LIN-12/Notch signaling. Dr. Vincent Racaniello worked with poliovirus. Dr. Martin Chalfie worked on green fluorescent protein as a marker.

What was your favorite class at Columbia?  I loved all of my classes, but Virology with Dr. Vincent Racaniello is one of the most engaging and amusing classes at Columbia. While it is grounded in biology and therefore might not be the best for all students, it is relatively accessible. Dr. Racaniello is a phenomenal science communicator and manages to incorporate various jokes into his lectures. Check out his podcasts on microbe.tv! 

I also enjoyed Immunology with Dr. Christian Schindler, Art Hum with Dr. Mikael Muehlbauer, Music Hum with Dr. Justin Gregg, Genetics with Dr. Iva Greenwald and Dr. Michelle Attner, Biochemistry with Dr. Mary Ann Price, and FroSci with Dr. Bradley Pitcher for the discussion section. Intensive Organic Chemistry with Dr. Luis Campos and Dr. Colin Nuckolls was difficult but rewarding, and the lab with Dr. Fay Ng was a lot of fun. 

Whom would you like to thank? I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me during my time at Columbia. My family, friends, professors, lab family, advisors, clubs, and more. My heart has been touched by so many people in my three years here, and I am forever grateful for what I was able to experience with everyone!

One thing to do before graduating? Visit a museum, especially the Met! There are beautiful paintings that you have definitely heard of, such as Oedipus and the Sphinx, Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies, and Wheat Field with Cypresses.

Any regrets? I let hard times bog me down and didn’t explore the city enough. I’ll return to NYC for more fun in the future!

Audrey via Liam Stiles