Lauren Desrosiers

Lauren Desrosiers is from Vienna, Virginia. She graduated from James Madison University in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology. As an undergraduate, Lauren held a student research associate position at SRI International and worked on a chemical proteomics project aimed at determining mechanism and targets of the small molecule SR16388 in prevention of triple negative breast cancer progression. In addition to her scientific pursuits, Lauren was an active member of a number of musical ensembles, and took on leadership roles as a section leader in the marching band and Vice President of Membership for her professional music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota.

After graduation, Lauren worked as a DNA Extraction technologist at GeneDx, a genetic diagnostic laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD. In May 2015 she transferred into a Genetic Counseling Assistant position, supporting the prenatal and rare disorders clinical staff. Her role included coordinating case management and aiding genetic counselors with clinical research projects. In her spare time, Lauren gained additional exposure by shadowing medical professionals including a reproductive endocrinologist and clinical genetic counselors practicing in a number of specialties. She also worked at StemTree, a tutoring center in her hometown, and developed the high school biology curriculum.

Before graduate school, Lauren was fortunate to be able to combine her love of performance and enthusiasm for volunteer work by serving as a mentor at ArtStream, an inclusive theater company for adults with disabilities in the Washington DC area. This summer, Lauren completed a clinical rotation at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the Department of Cancer Predisposition, which enhanced her passion for pediatric cancer.

Looking toward her second year, she is excited to continue her clinical rotations in prenatal at GGC Greenville, in cancer at University Hospital, in pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center and in prenatal at USC Specialty Clinics. In addition to her coursework and clinical responsibilities, she is also working on her Master of Science research aimed at assessing interest in and identifying motivating factors and perceived barriers to obtaining genetic counseling services among parents of children diagnosed with cancer. 

Lauren.Desrosiers@uscmed.sc.edu

Lauren Eekhoff 

Lauren Eekhoff is from Hull, Iowa. She graduated from Dordt College in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology. At Dordt, Lauren was a member of the cross country team as well as a tutor and teaching assistant for undergraduate biology classes and labs. Lauren spent a summer working at the University of Iowa in a lab that examined stress-induced changes to DNA methylation and the correlation to psychiatric disorders in a mouse model. She also volunteered for the Iowa Domestic Violence Helpline as an advocate where she provided services and counseling to victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

To gain exposure to the field, she conducted informational interviews with multiple genetic counselors in South Dakota and Iowa. This past summer, she completed a clinical rotation at the University of North Carolina Healthcare in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she worked in prenatal clinics. She also completed a laboratory rotation at NexGen MDx in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

This coming year, Lauren is looking forward to clinical rotations in pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center, cancer at Novant Health in Charlotte, prenatal at USC Specialty Clinics and pediatrics at MUSC in Charleston. She is also excited over the coming year to be coaching Strikers — a soccer team for individuals with special needs and to be completing work on her thesis entitled “Barriers to Maternal Self-Care in Carriers of Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy.” Lauren would be happy to answer any questions about the field of genetic counseling.

Shandrea Foster

Shandrea Foster is from Spartanburg, South Carolina. She graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a minor in Psychology, and a Leadership Distinction in Research. Throughout freshman and sophomore year, Shandrea worked as an undergraduate researcher assessing genetic risk factors within two different gene loci in people with BRCA1/2 mutations. In her spare time, she volunteered in service events with her honor society and worked with the elderly as a certified nursing assistant. She became heavily involved on and off-campus by becoming a peer teaching assistant in an undergraduate physiology laboratory and volunteering at the Free Medical Clinic. Concurrently, she was selected as a Magellan Ambassador, which is a leadership position she held for two years on campus that advocated for student involvement in research. As a senior, she participated in independent study to research tumorigenesis in a colorectal cancer cell line until she graduated in May of 2015.

To gain more experience with genetic counseling, Shandrea shadowed genetic counselors in pediatrics and oncology while working as a caregiver to elderly clients with physical and mental impairments. She also became a volunteer for Planned Parenthood with their patient advocacy program and still works as a clinic greeter to make sure patients are safe during protest days. This summer, Shandrea completed a cancer and pediatric rotation at the Fullerton Genetics Center in Asheville, North Carolina and a laboratory rotation at LabCorp in Durham, North Carolina.

Throughout this school year, she will complete a pediatric rotation with the Greenwood Genetic Center in Columbia, a prenatal and a pediatric rotation at the Greenwood Genetic Center in Greenville and a cancer rotation with Carolinas Medical Center. She is currently working on her thesis, which involves gaining insight into the health literacy, motivating factors, barriers and health perceptions of sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease within the African-American male community.

Shandrea.Foster@uscmed.sc.edu.

Zahra Girnary

Zahra Girnary is from Cary, North Carolina. She graduated in 2014 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Spanish for the Medical Professions. During her undergraduate career, Zahra served as a Resident Advisor for three years, helping to facilitate first year students' transitions to the university environment. She also spent a few semesters volunteering at a nursing home for patients suffering from cognitive decline and at a middle school as a mentor for young Latina girls.

After graduation, she spent two additional years at UNC in a genetics lab working on two exome sequencing projects, NC NEXUS and NC GENES. Her work involved delving into the published literature to ascertain clinically relevant data regarding disease causing genes and their various phenotypes, as well as conducting surveys on the sociocultural impacts of genetic testing. During her time with the lab, Zahra received the opportunity to present her work both locally and nationally at the UNC genetics retreat and at the annual American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) conference. Additionally, Zahra volunteered as a "Ready, Set, Baby" educator as well as a labor and maternity tour guide to expectant mothers and their families at UNC Women's hospital. Zahra was able to gain valuable shadowing experience in the cancer and ophthalmology clinics, which further solidified her desire to work in the field.

This past summer, Zahra completed a rotation in pediatrics at the NC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC and at Greenwood Genetics Center in Greenwood, SC. Throughout the school year, she will complete a cancer rotation at Greenville Health Systems, a prenatal rotation at Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, a cancer rotation at USC Specialty clinics and finally, a second pediatric rotation at Carolina’s Medical Center.

In addition to her coursework and clinical responsibilities, she is also working on her graduate thesis, which is studying premutation carriers and gray zone allele carriers of the FMR1 gene, which is associated with Fragile X syndrome. She is looking to study what information patients’ know about their clinical risks and which resources are most helpful in learning this information.

Zahra.Girnary@uscmed.sc.edu

Erin Huggins

Erin Huggins is from Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with Honors from Coastal Carolina University in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Medical Humanities. As an undergraduate, Erin shadowed genetic counselors and clinical geneticists all over South Carolina and participated in the Northwestern University Genetic Counseling Internship in 2015. She volunteered in many settings, including the Rape Crisis Center, Miracle League and the Grand Strand Down Syndrome Society. As a graduate student, Erin volunteers with Family Connection, a local organization that serves individuals with special needs, and is a coordinator for the Grand Strand Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Erin recently completed her summer rotation at Duke University Pediatric Medical Genetics, and looks forward to her upcoming rotations in prenatal genetics at USC Specialty Clinics, cancer genetics at Carolinas Medical Center, pediatric genetics at Greenwood Genetics Center and prenatal genetics at Medical University of South Carolina.

Erin is currently working in conjunction with Greenwood Genetic Center on her thesis, "Family Planning Decisions Following a Child's Diagnosis of Rett Syndrome." Erin is also a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) trainee, which has allowed her to take specialized coursework in the field of developmental disabilities in addition to her graduate studies.

Erin.Huggins@uscmed.sc.edu

Nicole Lucas

Nicole Lucas is originally from Marion, Iowa. She attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology in 2016. At Luther, Nicole worked as a laboratory assistant for the Genetics course and swam on the Luther Swimming and Diving team. In her sophomore year, she volunteered at Great Strides, a therapeutic horseback riding program in Decorah, Iowa in addition to being an on-call volunteer for Northeast Iowa's Domestic Violence Hotline. She also had the privilege of working as a caregiver for a boy with Down Syndrome living in Decorah, Iowa. Nicole was able to gain more experience in the field through observations at various genetic centers in the Midwest specifically in lab, cardiovascular and cancer genetic counseling.

During the summer of 2014 she furthered her experience through an internship at Gundersen Health System in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. There she spent most of her time in the prenatal and pediatric genetics department participating in case preparation and observation of genetic counseling appointments. Nicole also worked in the health care field as a Phlebotomist at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa during the summer of 2015.

Nicole spent her summer clinical rotation at MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, SC. Her clinical rotations for her senior year will include prenatal at MUSC's Prenatal Wellness Center, pediatrics at the Greenwood Genetics Center in Columbia, SC, cancer at Novant Health in Charlotte, NC and prenatal at Greenville OB. In addition to her coursework and clinical responsibilities, she is also working on her Master's thesis, which focuses on family response to Whole Exome Sequencing Reanalysis and its effect on the diagnostic odyssey. 

Nicole.Larsen@uscmed.sc.edu

Sarah Nimrichter 

Sarah Nimrichter is from Johnson City, Tennessee. She graduated summa cum laude from Austin Peay State University in 2014 with a BS in biology and a minor in chemistry. During her time at APSU, she worked as a student aid for the plant physiology professor. She also worked as a peer mentor in the APSU 1000 course where she helped acclimate incoming freshman to college life. She was active in the honors program, SGA, and her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, where she served in several leadership positions, including Chapter President. During her gap years, she began an internship at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond as the development intern, which led to working as the development assistant and later the guest services coordinator. In this role she coordinated family stays, served as a resource and liaison for families during their stay, and oversaw daily house operations to ensure a comfortable experience for families with hospitalized children.

To gain experience related to the genetic counseling field, she completed an internship at Northwestern University, shadowed genetic counselors in a general genetics clinic and prenatal setting, and volunteered as a counselor at a pregnancy resource center.

This past summer, she completed her summer rotation at University Genetics within University of Tennessee Medical Center and a laboratory rotation at EGL Genetics. Her clinical rotations during the school year include a cancer rotation at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, a pediatric rotation at Greenwood Genetic Center in Greenwood, a prenatal rotation at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and a cancer rotation at USC Specialty Clinics in Columbia.

Her masters thesis aims to explore the patient interest in and comfort with discussing a personal and/or family history of mental illness with a prenatal genetic counselor during prenatal genetic counseling.

Sarah.Nim richter@uscmed. sc.edu

Christopher Spencer

Christopher Spencer is from Greensboro, North Carolina. He graduated in 2013 from the University of Chapel Hill (UNC) with a degree in Biology. During his time at UNC, Chris spent nearly two years working as a research assistant in a laboratory studying the interplay between genetics, evolution and ecology in two species of tadpoles. His work was recognized at the UNC Undergraduate Research Symposium, where he presented a poster and received a research commendation.

Chris’s interest in genetic counseling began in 2014, when he had the opportunity to shadow genetic counselors at the Wesley Long Cancer Center and the Women’s Hospital of Greensboro. He spent a year volunteering at Hopeline, a crisis call line that offers nondirective counseling and resource referral for a wide variety of personal problems. To gain experience with individuals with disabilities, he worked as a direct care support professional for the ARC of the Triangle. In this position he provided respite care and skills training to adults with disabilities. He also spent a year as a caretaker for a child with autism, for whom he acted as a mentor and skills trainer.

In the summer of 2017, Chris completed his first clinical rotation in cancer genetic counseling with the Cancer Genetics Program at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. This experience allowed him to work with a large, highly skilled genetics team and participate in a wide variety of cases with unique indications. He also completed a laboratory rotation at Prevention Genetics in Wisconsin.

Throughout the year, he will complete a pediatric rotation at Greenwood Genetics in Greenville, a prenatal rotation with the Medical University of South Carolina, a cancer rotation with Carolinas Medical Center and another pediatric rotation with Greenwood Genetics in Greenwood.

He is currently working on his thesis, which aims to investigate methods of spiritual care in cancer genetic counseling, with the goal of identifying which methods patients find appropriate and beneficial.

Christopher.Spencer@uscmed.sc.edu

Ashton Wolfe 

Ashton Wolfe is from Fort Mill, SC. She attended College of Charleston and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in psychology. While attending College of Charleston, she was involved in Relay For Life, where she held leadership positions for 3 years. As an undergraduate, Ashton also regularly volunteered at Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital, until her junior year when she continued her volunteering at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in the Genetic Counseling Department. There she was able to gain lots of experience in cancer genetics, and logged over 200 hours of clinical shadowing. As well as her volunteering at MUSC, Ashton volunteered her time working at Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding, South Carolina Burned Children’s Fund as a camp counselor, and coached a youth soccer team.

This past summer Ashton completed her summer rotation in the Genetics and Metabolism department at Children's Health in Dallas, Texas. Her thesis project is focused on exploring how severity of communication in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, impacts sexual development. Ashton is also a full-time SC LEND trainee; furthering her education in neurodevelopmental disorders and interdisciplinary care.

Her clinical rotations this year will include cancer genetics at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, NC, prenatal and pediatrics genetics at the Medical University of South Carolina and cancer genetics at Novant Healthcare in Charlotte, NC. Ashton is thankful for her current experiences with the USC Genetic Counseling program, and looks forward to the opportunities ahead.

Ashton.Wolfe@uscmed.sc.edu

Carrie Anderson

Carrie Anderson was born and raised just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the University of Kentucky and graduated in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and International Studies and a minor in Spanish. During her time at UK, Carrie gained valuable experience participating in undergraduate research in an adaptation and speciation genomics lab. She was fortunate enough to study abroad at the Autonomous University of Barcelona as a sophomore and at Chiang Mai University in Thailand as a senior. She also completed a summer internship with Susan G Komen of Cincinnati, where she assisted with the planning of the 2015 Race for the Cure and attended outreach events to promote awareness about breast health and early cancer detection. Carrie spent the following summer interning with Kentucky Refugee Ministries, creating self-sufficiency plans and helping refugees acclimate to their new home in Kentucky. She also volunteered as a crisis counselor and medical advocate for survivors of sexual assault.

Carrie learned about genetic counseling by shadowing a genetic counselor at the cancer clinic at Baptist Health Lexington as well as the Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center in Louisville. She is excited to be a part of the University of South Carolina Genetic Counseling Program.

Carrie.Anderson@uscmed.sc.edu

Diane Biederman

Diane Biederman is from Greenbelt, Maryland. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Japan Studies. After graduation, she joined the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) and moved to Kurobe, Japan to teach English in a Japanese high school for two years. After her adventures abroad came to an end, she returned to North Carolina State to earn a Master of Science in Zoology in 2011.

Upon graduation, she accepted a position with LabCorp working in their prenatal cytogenetics department, maintaining fetal cell cultures and karyotyping. It was at LabCorp where she was first introduced to genetic counseling. She soon transferred to the molecular genetics department where she performed Fragile X testing and microsatellite analysis of fetal DNA to test for maternal cell contamination.

She then accepted a position with Sequenom where she performed next-gen sequencing and data analysis of fetal cfDNA. She also worked as a case coordinator, helping the lab genetic counselors and lab director to resolve problem samples, prioritize cases and prepare reports. She subsequently returned to the molecular genetics department at LabCorp where she performed testing for hereditary hemochromatosis, Factor V Leiden, Factor II, DPD, uniparental disomy (UPD) and Angelman/Prader Willi syndromes. Working closely with genetic counselors over the years inspired her to join the field. She prepared by shadowing genetic counselors at UNC, Sequenom and LabCorp, and interviewing a private practice cancer genetic counselor. She also volunteered on the crisis hotline at InterAct, a local nonprofit providing crisis counseling and assistance to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

She is excited to be part of the USC genetic counseling program and is looking forward to using her extensive laboratory experience to help patients navigate the confusing world of genetic testing.

Diane.Biederman@uscmed.sc.edu

Alena Faulkner

Alena Faulkner is from Lafayette, California. She attended Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Psychology, in 2015. While at Sonoma State, Alena worked as a peer mentor for three years in the Freshman Year Experience program, supporting and counseling freshmen academically and socially through challenges as they transitioned to their first year of college. She was also a part of the Vagina Monologues club and the campus’ annual production for two years, spreading awareness about ending violence that happens against woman and girls around the globe. Alena was an active member of her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, and held the Philanthropy Event Coordinator position, in which she planned and executed a fundraising event benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

She also served as a Panhellenic recruitment counselor, providing guidance to potential new members as they navigated their initial experience in Greek Life. Additionally, Alena interned at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging as a yeast dissector, extrapolating data from budding yeast cells manipulated by different drugs to ultimately study their effects on aging and the human lifespan. In her last year at Sonoma State, Alena assisted in her molecular genetics professor’s laboratory, studying functionality of an inhibitor protein product in a species of Antarctic fish, which have historically adapted unusually to certain environmental distresses.

The summer following graduation, she participated in Northwestern University’s Genetic Counseling internship. This intensive week-long experience provided her with an excellent scope of the field of genetic counseling through lectures, discussion and hands on learning experiences. Alena also interned at University of California San Francisco’s Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, logging patient’s paper charts, pedigrees and test results into an electronic database, during the summer of 2015.

Alena furthered her experience in the genetic counseling field as an intern at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara (CCSB) in their genetics department. During her two years at CCSB, she gained valuable insight of the genetic counseling process and day-to-day responsibilities of the cancer genetic counselors there. As part of her internship she was able to observe a wide variety of cases and interact directly with patients by assisting the genetic counselors in gathering family history information. Collectively, the experiences Alena has gained over the past few years have affirmed her eagerness to begin a career in genetic counseling, and she is excited and grateful to be a member of the USC Genetic Counseling class of 2019.

Alena.Faulkner@uscmed.sc.edu

Alyssa Gates

Alyssa Gates is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana. She graduated in 2017 from Purdue University with a B.S in Genetics and minors in Psychology and Entrepreneurship. During her undergraduate career, she served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for laboratory courses in molecular and genetic biology. She also had the opportunity to study abroad in Peru and focused on public health disparities while volunteering in local orphanages. Additionally, Alyssa worked with Autism Speaks and the American Cancer Society to promote community education initiatives and fundraising opportunities.

While in undergrad, Alyssa volunteered for three years with Mental Health America as a crisis intervention specialist and trainer for new specialists. In this position she provided crisis intervention to individuals and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Alyssa also had the privilege of working as a respite care provider for a child with Cerebral Palsy while studying at Purdue. To gain more experience with genetic counseling, Alyssa shadowed many counselors at Indiana University and Ann Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. She was able to observe cancer, pediatric and prenatal genetic counseling sessions and found her passion for the profession.

In her last summer of undergraduate study, she obtained an internship with Genetic Alliance in Washington DC focusing on maternal and child health, specifically prenatal screening/testing and newborn screening. During this internship she worked with a genetic counselor to create educational materials for expecting mothers and primary health care providers. All these experiences have confirmed her desire to work in the field of genetics and she is very excited to start her career as a genetic counselor at the University of South Carolina! She is happy to answer any questions about the field or applying to graduate school.

Alyssa.Gates@uscmed.sc.edu

Maggie Masterson 

Maggie Masterson is from Norwell, Massachusetts. She graduated from Clemson University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and a minor in Psychology. During her time at Clemson, Maggie was involved in the production of Clemson’s scientific journal, Tigra scientifica, as a writer and editor. She also contributed to the science column in Clemson’s campus newspaper.

Her first intern experience was at Smith’s Medical in Massachusetts, which introduced her to the world of health care and patient advocacy. Following her sophomore year, Maggie interned at the Rhode Island Hospital cancer genetics clinic, which allowed her to accumulate many hours of shadowing and to observe counseling techniques.

She began working as a science journalist for Clemson media relations during her junior year, reporting on science news and other featured stories. Throughout her senior year, Maggie transitioned to working full-time as a journalist in addition to completing her genetics coursework.

During her time as an undergraduate, Maggie was also involved in the Clemson University Tiger Marching Band, as well as Clemson University Concert Band and Pep Band. She is a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity and a volunteer at the Oconee humane society. Maggie spent the summer before her matriculation at USC working as a science news correspondent, reporting on research at Clemson and in the South Carolina area. She is very excited to be attending USC, and she will do her best to eschew the intense Clemson-USC rivalry and support the Gamecocks.

Margaret.Masterson@uscmed.sc.edu

Caitlyn Mitchell 

Caitlyn Mitchell is from Auburn, NY. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a minor in Health Professions in 2015. In 2017, she graduated with an M.S. from Duke University in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. As an undergraduate, Caitlyn was a member of the varsity soccer team, including the 2013 NCAA Division III Women’s National Championship team. Additionally, she completed an honors project over the course of two years studying novel histone deacetylase inhibitors and their potential use as anticancer treatments.

At Duke, Caitlyn completed a master’s thesis studying the role of non-coding, human-specific DNA loci that may regulate human brain size and play roles in neurodevelopmental disorders using both a mouse model and a human iPS cell model. She was part of a scientific outreach team that works introduce young children to science by sharing lessons and performing simple, fun experiments with them. Additionally, she volunteered as a soccer coach with Special Olympics where she worked with both children and adults with special needs.

To gain more exposure to the field of genetic counseling, Caitlyn shadowed genetic counselors at both Duke and UNC and interviewed multiple genetic counselors both in person and over the phone. She also took the semester-long online genetic counseling course offered through the University of South Carolina entitled “Genetic Counseling: Career for the Future” which made her extremely excited to begin her career in genetic counseling at USC.

Caitlyn.Mitchell@uscmed.sc.edu

Brianna Teapole

Brianna Teapole is from Burlington, North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. During her undergraduate career, she was a peer mentor through the Carolina Covenant Peer Mentoring Program and helped first-years adjust to the academic and social atmosphere at UNC. She shadowed several genetic counselors at the UNC Cancer Genetics clinic to gain a better understanding of the profession.

In addition, she began volunteering at crisis hotline, HopeLine, her senior year in college. At HopeLine she was able to support those experiencing difficulty and crisis by both listening and providing resources. After graduation, she worked for LabCorp for three years as a Cytogenetic Technologist where she learned extensively about genetic testing, including karyotyping and microarray techniques. She also continued volunteering with HopeLine and shadowing genetic counselors in both prenatal and pediatric settings.

In the fall of 2016, she completed USC’s online course, Genetic Counseling: Career for the Future, which left her feeling more excited than ever about the profession. This positive experience helped her feel certain that USC was the right place for her. She is excited to be a part of the program, and welcomes any questions.

Brianna.Teapole@uscmed.sc.edu

Courtney Whitmore

Courtney Whitmore is from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. She graduated cum laude from North Carolina State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and a minor in Psychology. During her time at NC State, she served as a College of Sciences ambassador, helping recruit new students, encourage donors, provide tours and support her peers. She was active in Order of Omega honor society, Circle of Sisterhood and her sorority, Kappa Delta, where she served in several leadership positions working with the academic and philanthropic committees. She enjoyed working as a caretaker for a local family and as a middle school math tutor.

As an undergraduate Courtney also began volunteering at Victory Junction Camp, which serves children with serious illnesses in Randleman, NC. Her interest in genetic counseling began early on in college and she loved being able to work on a joint project with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation to create publications for adults and children preparing for vascular surgery.

She gained more experience in the field by taking USC Genetic Counseling’s online course during her junior year. After that, she shadowed extensively in the Pediatric Medical Genetics clinic at Duke University Children’s Hospital. She is also happy to be a Graduate Instructional Assistant in an undergraduate course at USC’s College of Nursing. Courtney is excited to be a part of USC Genetic Counseling’s Class of 2019.

Courtney.Whitmore@uscmed.sc.edu