Think beyond

Major: Neuroscience

Q. So, what’s Colin Kanach’s life plan?
A. I hope to finish my undergrad education at Drew with a B.A. in neuroscience and a concentration in pre-medicine. Then I plan to go to medical school and become a physician.

Q. And you chose to start your education at Drew University why? 
A. I first came to Drew my junior year of high school, to attend a two-day seminar called Pre-Med 101 that gave the basics of what to expect in medical school. Coming to Drew that summer introduced me to the beauty of the campus, and I guess you can say it was love at first sight. Drew was unlike any other college I’d seen. The aesthetics of the campus fit my personal ideal of what I wanted my college to look like. After the seminar, I looked into Drew’s science department and the school’s statistics for medical school acceptances, and I was rather pleased with the numbers—which further pushed me toward attending Drew.

Q. So—has it lived up to your expectations?
A. And then some! My personality seems to fit perfectly among the student body, and the faculty have been far more supportive and involved than I ever expected.

Q. Really? How so?
A. The professors treat students as peers deserving of the utmost respect. They will literally sit with you and have a conversation, ranging from the topics covered in class or lab, a research project you’re interested in, or even something as casual as Harry Potter! It’s funny to listen to the conversations on the paths—people talking about the chiral centers of an amino acid, or the distinctiveness of the brush stokes of Van Gogh, or the distribution of nitrated tau among Alzheimer’s patients. That has to be one of my favorite things about Drew.

Q. What’s your idea of campus fun?  
A. My friends and I just celebrated a 21st birthday by playing Dance Dance Revolution, ordering Chinese take-out, drawing hand turkeys and eating chocolate fondue while pelting the birthday girl with marshmallows. But other than that, there are places around campus for a good time. The Space is a mini snack bar that sells fried delights, the University Program Board finds great entertainers and The Other End is a late night café that bakes scrumptious homemade goodies.

Q. Do you have a favorite spot at Drew?
A. I love walking through the corridor that links Brothers College to Hall of Sciences. The tiny hallway is lined with huge windows, and the floor is black-and-white checkerboard. It reminds me of something out of Beetlejuice—very Tim Burton-esque.

Q. OK, Colin, here’s your chance to be the voice of experience for students thinking about coming to Drew. 
A. Get ready to know everything about everybody! Unlike large schools, where you may only see the people who are in your class, at Drew, you pretty much get to know the entire campus, from the first-year students through the seniors, from the staff through the faculty—all by name!