Trinity College neuroscience major Alicia Camuy ’22 recently was selected from an estimated pool of more than 5,000 students from across the country to receive the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship is among the most prestigious awards for students interested in pursuing careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
“[Receiving] this scholarship, especially as a first-generation college student, is a huge foot in the door for me,” said Camuy. “It will afford me the opportunity to do the research I love and help me attend a Ph.D. program after I graduate from Trinity.”
In Camuy’s first year at Trinity, she took part in the Interdisciplinary Science Program (ISP), an academic program for first-year students that links scientific disciplines to their connections in the world. Through ISP, Camuy participated in research with Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Sarah Raskin.
In Raskin’s ReMIND Lab (Rehabilitation of Memory for Individuals with Neurological Diagnoses), Camuy has been researching the Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST), which evaluates prospective memory, or the ability to remember to carry out a future task. “Through my research, I have discovered that the MIST assessment isn’t necessarily appropriate for all populations, specifically Spanish speakers. As a result, I applied for a Student Initiated Research Grant, initiated the Institutional Review Board process, and created new assessments on my own,” said Camuy.
Camuy also is a leader outside of her coursework; she’s active in La Voz Latina and Trinity’s Multicultural Affairs Council and serves as a first-generation peer mentor, a big sister in the Big Sister-Little Sister program, and a student worker at Trinfo.Café.
Camuy is enthusiastic about continuing to develop her research and follow her passions. “When we are little, science is so often presented as facts that we already know,” said Camuy. “However, I’ve begun to learn that science is a lot about what we don’t know. I am learning how to be skeptical and how to explore the fascinating unknowns of the world and want to continue to do so in my future.”