SIGMA DELTA TAU @NORTHEASTERN
Academic Spotlights
Annaliese Jones
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
I'm a third year Criminal Justice and Psychology major. I came into Northeastern under the assumption that I'd be a Biology major working towards a career as a veterinarian, however that changed when I realized I was much more passionate about the field of criminal justice. I've always loved crime shows (NCIS is my all-time favorite), reading the crime section in newspapers, and watching the news. My favorite class so far has probably been Criminal Due Process. The entire class revolved around different supreme court cases, which was really cool because I learned the ins-and-outs of the law and which aspects of it apply in various settings. I've found a lot of what I learned in that class to be extremely relevant now that I'm on co-op. I remember the cases and which laws applied and why, which helps my overall understanding of my job in the Criminal Bureau at the Mass Attorney General's Office! I'm not sure where I want to end up post grad, but for now I'm really enjoying everything I'm doing. I'm also reading 'The Stranger Beside Me,' which is probably my favorite book of all time. It's about the serial killer Ted Bundy, and it really connects the two fields I'm studying by uncovering the backstory of what compelled him to do what he did. I recommend it if you're into creepy books like I am :)
Kassie Zavaliagkos
LUMOS DEBATE BRANCH MANAGER
This past summer was my second year working as a branch manager for a startup middle-school debate camp. Having been an active member of the debate team throughout high school, I was excited to pass on some of my knowledge to middle schooler students who are looking forward to joining their high school debate teams. During my time at Lumos, I was in charge of running the Lexington camp sessions. Each session consisted of approximately 8 instructors and 45 kids. It was such an amazing opportunity to gain hands-on experience in management. Specifically, I gained more effective communication and leadership skills. Above all else, I had so much fun working with middle school kids all day!
I am excited to say that at the end of the summer I was offered the opportunity to continue working with Lumos during the school year. My current projects include creating a curriculum for a prospective Model UN and Public Speaking camp, assisting the marketing team and coordinating parent communications. I have had such a positive and motivating experience working for Lumos that I hope to one day create my own startup!
Sara Panahi
PHARMACY MAJOR
I'm extremely pleased to be in my P3 (or 3rd professional) year of pharmacy school at Northeastern. When I was a high school senior, I applied to Northeastern's accelerated PharmD program. Through this program, I was able to get my pharmacy prerequisites out of the way in my freshman and sophomore years; classes like chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and physics. Through early assurance, I then started graduate classes at the Northeastern University School of Pharmacy. Much like medical school, dental school, or veterinary school, students normally have to get a bachelor’s degree, take the Pharmacy College Admissions Exam, and apply to pharmacy schools following completion of a four-year undergraduate program. Through this unique 6-year program, I have been taking graduate classes and completed three co-ops in different areas of pharmacy since middler year. Currently, I'm two semesters away from getting my Bachelors of Science in Pharmaceutical Science. After that, I will begin a year of clinical rotations before graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).
My hardest class, by far, is Comprehensive Disease Management. This course spans four semesters and is where we learn the "meat" of being a pharmacist: all the disease states, drugs, mechanisms of action, interactions, side effects, etc. All in all, it's where we learn how to effectively treat a patient through evidence-based medicine. Each disease state is taught by a different pharmacist/professor who is an expert in the field. This program has been incredibly challenging and stressful, but is more than worth it. After graduation, I plan to continue my education with a hospital residency, preferably focusing in psychiatric pharmacy or infectious disease. Someday, I hope to take my clinical experience and work in pharmaceutical industry or for a federal agency like the FDA.