Alex Whitley
 The human mind always fascinated him. But so did the human body. The decision was in Alex Whitley’s hands. Should he major in pre-medicine or psychology?
Alex chose pre-medicine. He soon regretted it. Not because pre-medicine wasn’t for him. His passion for psychology was just too strong. “I’ve always been interested in reading about how people work. I thought maybe I should minor in psychology, but I love biology and psychology equally,” Alex says. “I figured why not major in both.” Alex has been able to keep up with two challenging curricula thus far but knows it will get more difficult once he reaches advanced courses. His first semester taught him a lot about time management. “I’m trying to get prepared for the challenges that will come with microbiology and other advanced courses,” Alex says. “However, since I’m so interested in both fields, it’s almost a drive. If you’re interested in something, it’s fun to keep learning more.” |
Working toward: a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine and psychology
Expected graduation date: Spring 2010
High school: Vandebilt Catholic High School
Hometown: Houma, La.
Nicholls involvement:
My first year of college, I played the saxophone in the Nicholls marching band. I hope to join the concert band in Spring 2008. I am also a member of Student Educators and Leaders, NAACP, Residence Hall Association, Food Advisory Council and Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.
Current employment:
Right now I’m just focused on my studies. I’m hoping to get a job working in one of the campus residence halls soon, though.
I chose to attend Nicholls because …
… I knew I wanted to become a doctor and learned through research that the Nicholls pre-medicine program was highly regarded. I also wanted to attend a school close to home. My 84-year-old grandmother lives with my family, and I like knowing that I’m not far away if she needs something.
When I can find spare time, I enjoy …
… surfing the Internet, spending time on Facebook, talking with friends and researching anything unusual I may have encountered during the day. Whenever I hear someone talking about something I don’t know about, I love to go home and research it. I spend a lot of time learning about different topics. Even before I eat anything new, I read up about it and learn its nutritional content, taste and more.
After college, I plan to …
… attend medical school. I’m not sure yet what I will specialize in, but I definitely will help people in need. Both biology and psychology deal with health problems. How people work plays a big part in how people recover and respond to treatment. People tend to forget that the mind and body are connected. Every thought affects every cell of your body. Having a background in psychology will only help me in treating patients.
What I will always remember about Nicholls is …
… the family-oriented campus community. Everyone knows a little bit about everything. If you are having a problem with your class or anything, you can ask for help everywhere. Some people complain that Nicholls is just like high school. Of course, it’s not. They say that because everyone tends to know someone here. That’s a good thing. I think it makes things a lot less stressful. It makes you feel more at home.