Marek has taken advantage of the many travel opportunities Quinnipiac offers by traveling to Nicaragua to teach elementary school classes.
Every time Sarah Marek ‘19 takes a pulse or takes a moment to comfort a patient, she moves a step closer to enrolling in a physician assistant program. As a patient care associate at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Marek is working hard to log the 500 to 2,000 paid clinical hours typically required before someone can apply for a PA program.
As double major in biology and chemistry, Marek was a regular in the lab and took advantage of multiple research opportunities. Chief among these was the eight-week QUIP-RS program, where she worked alongside biology professor Courtney McGinnis assessing the health of two Connecticut rivers and the effects of contaminated water on fish.
Marek likens working with concerned patients to helping overwhelmed students grasp difficult subject matter. She helped her classmates as an organic chemistry peer fellow, and later as a peer facilitator for QSTEP, a program designed to enhance retention for students in STEM fields. She also taught science to elementary school students in Leon, Nicaragua, during a STEM/Global Solidarity trip in 2017.
How will you develop your 21st Century Skills?
Explore How the University Curriculum Builds Skills
Every course you take not only develops aptitude in that subject, but also develops one or more of our essential learning outcomes–skills critical to your future success in work and in life. See how the flexibility of the College of Arts & Sciences curriculum allows you to explore widely and develop skills based on your goals.
Understand the Disciplinary Areas
Why do you need to study the humanities if you are interested in medical school? Why do you need to study chemistry if you are interested in a career in journalism?
Studying in different disciplines expands your intellectual toolkit and allows you to bring insights and knowledge from one area and apply it to another.
Explore the learning outcomes achieved through studies in the humanities, natural sciences, fine arts, and social sciences and how each contributes to your understanding of the world while building critical skills.
Learn How Our 360 Degree Advising Process Ties Your Experiences Together
We’ve built our 360 Advising Process based on the idea that every experience you have can have an impact on your academic journey and your career. The process of exploration, implementation, and reflection is central to the idea of 360 advising. Each experience, in or out of the classroom, becomes a point of learning that helps you evaluate your development as a student and as a person; helps you understand your values, interests and goals; and helps you make informed choices about your academic and career options during your time here and beyond.
Experiential Learning Develops Skills Outside the Classroom
Experiential learning can come in the form of an internship, study abroad/away experience, co-curricular opportunities (such as academic organizations on campus), research project with faculty, or even independent study. Experiential learning opportunities give you the chance to take your previous classroom learning out into the world and test it out, or to try something entirely new and perhaps develop a new academic interest.
Career Development Helps You Articulate and Sell Your Skillset to the World
When it comes time to find an internship or full-time employment, you must be able to articulate the skills you’ve developed, demonstrate them in practice through your various experiences, and package them effectively for your target audience. Follow our Career Development process to build your skills and present them effectively!
