These past few months have gone by quickly, but I have accomplished a lot in them, and I look forward to soon reaching the finish line of my college education. At the start of the semester, I made a slight change in my course of study, switching my major from Biological Sciences to Neuroscience and Behavior because I have a lot of interest in cell therapies and drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. This change enabled me to take classes like Neurobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Social Neuroscience and provided me with foundational knowledge covering a vast array of topics, ranging from sensory physiology to the neural basis of moral decision-making. I also took Organic Chemistry so that I could learn more about the chemical processes that drive the development of different pharmaceutical products used in medicine. Overall, my classes this semester were challenging, but the knowledge I gained made my efforts worth it. Outside of my courses, I continued my research with the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Program at the Columbia University School of Public Health and submitted a research paper on trends in HIV testing utilization in Lesotho to a journal for publication. The review process will take many months, but hopefully, the paper will be published by this summer. I also made sure to leave some room for fun, so some of my favorite moments this semester were having a picnic with friends in Riverside Park, seeing a jazz show at Lincoln Center, and perusing the stalls of the Hester Street Fair with my sisters when they came to visit me. As for my post-graduate plans, I have begun searching for and applying to jobs in biotechnology, global health, and healthcare policy, and I have already started to interview with a few companies, mostly in Boston and San Francisco. I cannot express enough how much I appreciate MV outh for supporting my academic journey at Columbia and I hope that I will continue to represent the Martha’s Vineyard community well.
Spencer Pogue - Columbia Univeristy
In this past semester at Columbia University, I have begun to settle into a steady routine and make time for my academics, extracurriculars, and social activities. Some highlights included watching tennis matches at the US Open, listening to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia give a talk on Balkan geopolitics, watching a performance of the New York City Ballet, and seeing a Carnegie Hall performance of world-renowned classical pianist, Hélène Grimaud.
As for my academics, I continued taking coursework for the Core Curriculum, my major in Biological Sciences, and my concentration in Public Health. My favorite course was Developmental Biology, where I learned about embryological development, stem cell technologies, and regenerative medicine. Another course that proved to be fairly difficult for me was Hispanic Cultures II, since we were required to analyze, discuss, and write about historical Hispanic texts exclusively in Spanish, and resulted in me writing an academic paper in Spanish for the first time. The course was rewarding though, because I gained confidence in my ability to read, write, speak, and listen to Spanish. I also learned how to code in R and conduct survey-based public health research in my Data Science and Health Equity course.
As for the future, I am still unsure of whether or not a pre-medical path will be right for me, so I will be looking this summer to either gain more clinical experience, intern at a biotech firm, or at a public health organization. However, my plans post-graduation are still up for debate. I want to thank MVYouth for supporting me in my journey at Columbia University, and I hope to represent the organization and the whole Martha’s Vineyard community well in all of my future endeavors.
Spencer Pogue - Columbia University
So far, my sophomore year at Columbia has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and has enabled me to hone in on my interests and readjust to in-person learning. This was my first semester living on campus, so a lot of the challenges of this school year have been related to switching from the routine of a remote, Zoom-based education, to navigating a new campus environment.
I won’t be able to declare my course of study until the spring semester, but I am planning on majoring in Biological Sciences and potentially doing a concentration in Public Health. I am still taking the required courses to apply for medical school, but I have been trying to explore different career paths in the life sciences industries like biotechnology research and development, public health policy, and healthcare consulting.
My classes this semester have included the intro-level biology, statistics, and physics courses, as well as Contemporary Civilizations, a required philosophy class that includes philosophical works by Descartes, Machiavelli, and Aristotle, and many others. My STEM courses have been difficult, but I have a great group of friends in my major to study with, so it makes the long hours in the library more enjoyable. I am also taking classical piano lessons right now as well, and will be performing Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in a recital at the end of this week. My next semester will consist of many of the same courses, except I will be adding on Hispanic Cultures, which will allow me to continue practicing my spanish-speaking skills for when I (hopefully) study abroad next school year.
Outside of class, I have continued my involvement as an Associate Editor of Columbia’s Journal of Global Health, and am currently reviewing submissions for our fall semester issue. In addition, I have begun working in the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory in the Biomedical Engineering Department, and have been learning how to culture stem cells, do immunohistochemistry staining, and use MATLAB software for image processing.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the school year, and I would like to thank MVYouth for giving me the opportunity to attend Columbia University, because attending college in New York City has provided me with innumerable academic, professional, and social opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.
Spencer Pogue - Columbia University
My first semester at Columbia University was exciting and provided me with lots of personal and academic growth. Despite the University’s shift to an online educational modality, I still chose to move to New York City for the semester and lived in an apartment near campus so that I would still be able to transition away from living at home. As for my classes, I enjoyed being able to take a combination of Columbia’s Core classes and prerequisite courses for my major and for medical school. In my required University Writing course, I enrolled in a section that focused on readings in Medical Humanities and gained experience writing research papers about essays and artwork by authors and artists like Johanna Hedva, Susan Sontag, and Frida Kahlo. This class ultimately reshaped how I view medicine and illness, and solidified my desire to pursue a career in healthcare. In addition, I also began my STEM education at Columbia with General Chemistry, which challenged me to adapt to learning difficult content in an online environment while maintaining proper study habits and time for self-care. Outside of academics, I have also become involved in a few organizations and activities on campus. I joined the Operations Committee for Columbia Synapse, an neuroscience education organization that focuses on community involvement and advocacy for people suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries. I also continued to pursue my interests in medicine and literature by becoming an Associate Editor for Columbia’s Journal of Global Health, a publication that features public health research from student scientists from all over the United States. Lastly, I have also been taking advantage of free student access to New York City museums, and have already explored the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA with my roommates and friends. Overall, this semester I have pushed myself to appreciate my new surroundings and to seek out many of the new opportunities that are available to me. My unique education at Columbia would not have been possible without MVYouth, so I am grateful that this organization has allowed me to follow such an enriching educational journey.