Macy Hoeveler is a junior in the Brain & Cognitive Science program with a double minor in Integrative Biology and Music. She is a Writer’s Workshop consultant, Editor-in-Chief of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal, and holds lab positions in the Dolezal Bee Research Lab and the Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. In her free time, Macy is a violinist and enjoys reading, listening to music, and collecting bugs. She has a pet praying mantis named Martina, who her roommates kindly tolerate. She is her pride and joy.
Choosing one thing has never been my forte; I have always wanted to understand everything. I’ve had a million questions and an answer never seemed to satisfy me. My passions and interests would morph and grow, but my need for learning stayed unchanging. The thirst for answers pushed me towards pursuing research – the best way, I determined, to ask questions and get answers. But before college, the breadth of research I could’ve pursued was unimaginable.
During my first year at U of I, I took interest in topics I had never even considered. In the Brain & Cognitive Science program, I have been able to take classes across many disciplines: Neuroscience, Computer Science, Integrative Biology, and Psychology, all of which directly contributed to my degree. I came into my first year wanting answers, but I began my second year with infinitely more questions.
But the freedom of LAS’s programs allowed me to explore all the topics that caught my attention. I have been able to pursue two minors (Integrative Biology and Music) and three certificates (Neuroscience, Animal Behavior, and Entomology). I’ve explored work as a Writer’s Workshop consultant, lab tech, Editor-in-Chief, and member of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
During my past three semesters as a Writer’s Workshop consultant, the variety of students I’ve worked with has reflected the accessibility and supportive nature of U of I’s resources. Working with students from across all corners of the university approaching their writing and research with passion and investment is a gift – I have learned more from our writers than I have from any class, job, or paper.
My first summer in Champaign, the summer after my sophomore year, I worked three jobs in completely different corners of LAS – a lab tech position in honey bee behavioral ecology, a Beckman Fellowship studying neurobiological markers of tinnitus, and a writing tutor with the Illinois Scholars Program (ISP). One thing became abundantly clear: curiosity drove me here, and will continue leading me to places I never would’ve expected.
My position with ISP was dedicated to providing writing support throughout a student-directed five-week research project about any topic of interest. The program was particularly oriented towards first-generation college students: I met students with interests across every department, some researching topics related to their intended majors and others exploring something completely different. These students were some of the most inquisitive and curious people I have ever met, and demonstrated true passion for whatever topic they chose. I worked with students researching educational design, psychological research methods, rap lyricism, semiconductor engineering, practically anything you could imagine.
Throughout those five weeks, one lesson rang true. It all boils down to one thing: curiosity. If you have a spark, LAS can make it into a flame.