Following graduation with a cellular and biomedical concentration in biology, Anna Kelly Lawless ’24 is excited to begin a new adventure at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. After exploring several opportunities in the medical field, she decided to apply her love of research and interest in problem-solving to pharmacy. She says that a combination of international experiences and intentional mentoring at Berry College helped her find the right path.
Wanting a career that would be care-focused and mission-minded, she reached out to the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD). Through personality assessments, career counseling and a course introducing students to the variety of health professions, Anna Kelly moved from a pre-nursing major to the pre-medical track.
“Between the mentoring I was receiving at the CPPD and the encouragement from faculty in my introductory courses, I grew so much in my first two months of college,” says Anna Kelly. “I was also loving chemistry and my cell biology course.”
Through the program Veritas Study Abroad, Anna Kelly had the opportunity to combine academics and service in a health-care capacity in Dunedin, a large city in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Anna Kelly notes, “The courses at the University of Otago were structured similarly to American graduate school. There was no homework or quizzes — just one massive test worth 70% of the grade. Though it was challenging, I fell in love with immunology. Learning about the body’s natural self-defense system brought me incredible joy and curiosity. I was also able to see the relevance of the material outside of the classroom, as the professors made it a priority to relate the COVID-19 perspectives of the Māori people and culture in the context of medicine.”
Beyond classes, she volunteered for Servants Healthcare, a Christian ministry serving the underprivileged and homeless people of Dunedin and surrounding towns. Listening to patients’ life stories and experiences solidified her commitment to a career focused on helping others heal.
Returning to Berry, Anna Kelly asked her professors about getting involved in research with genetics. Working with Assistant Professor of Biology Caitlin Conn, she contributed to a study on rabies lyssavirus, the most prevalent of all lyssaviruses posing a public health threat. She investigated the pathology and evolution of the virus's five genes.
She commends the helpful structures that keep Berry’s pre-med/pre-pharm students like her on track — including a dedicated advisor who, along with the CPPD, gives advice, reads personal statements and holds students accountable to graduate level school requirements after college. They also benefit from mock interviews facilitated by the pre-med/pre-pharm committee.
Anna Kelly is the first to tell anyone interested in care-based careers about the community, opportunities and experiences that distinguish Berry: “If you need encouragement or empowerment, there are plenty of mentors to pour into students at Berry College. Get into the field and get hands-on experience. Find your passion and your fit at Berry.”
