Chloe Wen '24
BA Anthropology
Minor in Chemistry

Where are you originally from?
Buffalo, NY

On her major:
I chose anthropology because I wanted to expose myself to broader perspectives; as a pre-med student, I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into only learning about hard sciences. When I first started taking anthropology classes about stone tools and primate phylogeny, I was worried that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But as I took more classes and interacted with more professors, I began to understand the inseparable nature of human culture and human health, which is something I will carry with me throughout my career. Few other majors will allow you to draw from diverse disciplines and integrate your many interests into one degree, but anthropology does that and more.

Favorite class:
EBH 316 with Professor Smaers was my first ever upper-division class. As a freshman, I was nervous that I didn’t have enough background knowledge to understand anything that was going on. But not only did Professor Smaers put the complicated concepts into accessible terms, it was also an important class that I think students with any and all academic goals would benefit from. It’s the kind of course that even when you leave the classroom, elements of your daily routine remind you of the concepts that you learned and allow you to apply what you learn in school to your life.

Plans for post-graduation:
I’m going to go home to Buffalo and spend a gap year acquiring clinical experience before applying to medical school.

Clubs or organizations:
I’m part of CASB Dance Team (CDT), a dance team on campus that strives to bring together people of different backgrounds and experience levels. I’ve been able to cultivate one of my favorite hobbies while learning important skills in leadership, communication, collaboration, and coordination. I’ve also been able to surround myself with wonderful people who share my passions. 

I’m also a part of TSA, the Taiwanese Students Association. Being part of this organization has allowed me to meet others who are as passionate about my culture while learning how to embrace my culture myself. Having grown up in a community that had very few people who looked like me, coming to this school and connecting with my background has been an unexpected blessing.

Advice for potential Seawolves?
When you first come to school, it might feel like you have to be doing everything at the same time; this is especially true for pre-med students, as medical school applications have become increasingly competitive. While it’s important to diversify your portfolio, it’s even more important to invest your time in things that you genuinely enjoy. Being picky about where you devote your resources and choosing mentors who will actively advocate for you will be far more beneficial in the long run than bouncing between countless activities that you don’t have real passion for. Quality over quantity!