Devo's Life

Hello everyone! I’m Devonte. I am from the north side of Chicago, specifically the Lincoln Park area. I recently graduated from Lincoln Park High School, and I am officially a Redbird. Illinois State University will become my home away from home. My intended major is International Business. I am currently a member of the After School Matters Health Science Explorers program at Gallery 37. The reason why I’m here is because I plan to learn much more about what human health means and how the human anatomy truly functions. I'm also here to meet new people and learn new things from other people, including guest speakers who are specialized in the Science and Medicine fields. I love writing poetry, and I’m really passionate about what I write. Also, I love learning about world history. My favorite subjects are World Language, English, and Social Studies. I love these three subjects to the fullest extent possible because they're very useful for real-world experiences. In high school, I had taken Spanish for three years and French for one year. I had taken Regulars, Honors, AP, and IB Standard Level classes during my time in high school.  Furthermore, I intend to study international business because it’s important to have an mindset about how foreign businesses function and think. 

As Told By Cassie

Sabaidee! That’s Laotian for “Hello!” My name is Cassandria but I prefer Cassie. I am a Class of 2014 graduate from Lane Tech College Prep and will be a freshman at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I tend to be a little shy and quiet, but there’s no room for that in After School Matters. I’m looking forward to improving myself and meeting new people, opening up to others and learn about not only them but also more about health science.

My hobbies involve anything creative, typically something artsy like painting and drawing. I recently got into sewing and hope to learn and obtain a new set of sewing skills so I may use them for the near future of my clothing, haha. I also like to read, and guess what, I hardly watch TV! Isn’t that unheard of in today’s world? “Breaking Bad?” “Game of Thrones?” “Pretty Little Liars?” Huh?? On the other hand, I watch many animes on the web, and they are usually subbed because I enjoy hearing the original voice acting and the Japanese language itself! This is the best source of anime so far! My music taste is very broad in genres and even languages. From English to Korean, and from rock to EDM. However, I have a liking for K-Pop which is Korean popular music, and I think the language is interesting and unique, along with the culture.

I’m really excited to be a part of the Health Science Explorers program for the first time because I’m really into learning about the human body and I hope what I learn will benefit me to pursue a pharmaceutical career.

Dreams and Goals of Kyra

Ni Hao Peng You! My name is Kyra. Maybe you care about this blog post maybe you don't, but just keep reading. I graduated from Lindblom Academic Center and I am freshman at Whitney Young Magnet High School . I am not really worried about freshman year though. I really wanted to go there, and now that I am I feel like I am on the way to conquering all of my dreams. And boy do I have dreams, some a little more in reach than others but still they are dreams

I have always loved school, although I went to a school that is not all that great. While in school I developed a passion for science, math and writing. Although I am good at reading and geography they are not really my thing. As I got older, I started to realize what I wanted to do with my life, realistically.  I want to go to Stanford University (if that's realistic) and major in Chemistry. Then I would like to go to University of Chicago or Oxford for medical school. My realistic career choice is to be a neonatologist.  That is what inspired me to join the Health Science Explorers Program, through After School Matters. I hope to learn more about that of the health field and further my interest in the medical career.
Unrealistically, I would love to go into performing arts. I really enjoy music and theater; enough to purse a career in them. If I was to get a career in performing arts I would still go to college.
Outside of academics I like to write, specifically poems, sing,dance and basically talk to people. I have never been someone who keeps to themselves. I consider myself outgoing and out of the box. I am very metaphoric and love challenges. Sometimes I can be a little stubborn but I try to be as kind as possible.

I Literally Can't Even: The McKenzie Story

Hi! I’m McKenzie, and I’m a rising junior at Northside College Prep. Many adjectives have been used to describe me; shy has never been one of them. I consider myself to be a theater person at heart, mostly due to my love of talking to whomever will listen. I’m passionate about a lot of different things, which is somewhat confusing to some people. I love science and creative writing; dissections and acting; psychology and cosmetology; neuroscience and the science of fashion; social activism and singing. In short, I’m a mixed bag. I’m very energetic, and somewhat bubbly. I have a deep appreciation for many types of music, ranging from The Arctic Monkeys to Vampire Weekend to Iggy Azalea. I love to read, and my favorite authors are John Green and Libba Bray. I also value the beauty of Netflix, the love of my life. My favorite shows are Orange is The New Black, Breaking Bad, Supernatural, and 30 Rock. Jennifer Lawrence is my soul sister. I hope to be either a neuropsychologist or a pediatric neurologist one day (that is, if I don’t get “discovered” and whisked off to Hollywood). I’m doing this program because I've always been a huge science fan, and I also needed something to do with my time that wasn't Netflix. I'm really excited for this summer, and I feel like it's going to be a ton of fun.

Welcome!

Science, health, social justice, and community. What do these things have in common you might ask? They are things that bring together the world of health science. While many people think about visiting the doctor's office when they hear the word health there is a vast world of occupations that impact not only our personal health but also global health. While we look at how things like a food desert in a Chicago community, impacts the health of residents, and how that leads to increased risk for of heart disease that is health science. These amazing students have learned about calories, the body system, and diseases while meeting working professionals in the field of medicine and health. Be sure to check out their essays and poems on some of the health issues that they felt mattered and were important to them.

Health Science Explorers visit to Northwestern University's Physical Therapy program
image courtesy of After School Matters