Meet Our May 2024 Graduates | University Honors Program | SIU

Dania M Abou-Jabal

Dania Abou-Jabal is graduating with a double major in Physiology and Public Health on the Pre-Medicine track.  Dania served as President of Saluki Ambassadors, the President of ESG, the Public Health Honorary Organization, and as the Local Director of Advocacy for Timmy Global Health, volunteering 25 hours. Post-graduation, Dania will intern at the VA hospital in Marion, IL, working alongside a physician in the Emergency Department. In Fall, she will start SIU's Master of Public Health Program for graduate school, while also preparing for the medical school application process. Dania is excited to begin her next journey after graduation and is grateful for all the opportunities and support that SIU and the University Honors Program has provided her with.

Comfort Adeyeye

Comfort Adeyeye graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Biological sciences with aspecialization in Biomedical sciences, and a minor in Chemistry. I am very much self-motivated, I search for inspirations in God, people, places, things, etc..
I was involved in the ChiAlpha student ministry and was the treasurer at the Redeemed Student Fellowship. Ivolunteered as one of the Transfer Transition Leaders.I was an Undergraduate Research Assistant under Professor Shamsi Mohtashimi, and I was privileged to be a coauthor on a publication for the Research we were working on. The research topic is Electrografted Laser-Induced Graphene: Direct Detection of Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarker in Cerebrospinal Fluid. The initial plan was to go into medical school, but having worked at the research lab, I plan to go into graduate school and get a PhD degree in specifically Epidemiology.

Rachel Burke

Rachel is graduating with a BA in Radio, Television, & Digital Media and a minor in Art. During their time at SIU, Rachel has co-founded the new media RSO, Cult of Media, and has worked as a Co-Producer for Scholastic Hi-Q at WSIU. They look forward to continuing a career in the television industry, Foley work, or other post-production audio. Rachel also has plans in the works to launch an online shop to sell their artwork.

Sarah Depa

My name is Sarah Depa and I am graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology with a specializaon in Animal Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. I’m from Arlington Heights, IL which is a suburb of Chicago. In my field I have previously done some work with genotyping sturgeon, but more recently I have worked with the Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab to capture white-tailed deer fawns for the SIU Deer Project and have volunteered in Dr. Brown’s Lab as an animal caretaker for his resident poison frogs. I hope that in the future I can be an advocate for conservation and spark big change by analyzing and reducing human-related disturbances on other species. Through the Honor’s program, I’ve volunteered at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and at Touch of Nature. I am also involved in an honors research course with Dr. Bastille-Rousseau, where I analyze deer movement based on loud noises and people interactions. I am apart of Zeta Theta Omega- Zoology Professional Fraternity, The Wildlife Society, and Saluki Reefers- Marine Bio Club. After graduation I plan on doing field technician jobs for a year or two, and then head on to grad school. So wish me luck!

Fiona N Ely

Fiona Ely, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a minor in healthcare management. After graduation, she accepted a position with Saint Louis Children's Hospital as a Registered Nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit and hopes to return to school to advance her nursing career.
Fiona has served as the Director of Fundraising for the Student Nurses Association for two years, tutored in the nursing program, and has volunteered at various places around Southern Illinois including Gum Drops and the Boys and Girls Club.

Annika L Gally

During my time in the SIU Honors Program, I have met so many people and made so many friends. My
favorite part had to be the opportunities to volunteer, specifically in the local elementary schools, and all
the support (food) that the honors program offered during finals week! Thank you to my honors friends,
David, and Brenda!

David Gomes

I am David Gomes, and I am graduating with a B.A. in psychology. I am from Du Quoin Illinois, a town near Carbondale. My involvement in the Honors program and aspirations for graduate school drove my academic journey, supported of course by my Honors mentor David Milley, and my family and friends.
I have engaged in diverse community service, volunteering with Gum Drops, Brehm’s Prep School, local youth camps, and interning at the SIU Health Center. On campus, I have been actively involved in the SIU Men’s Rugby Team, Marching Salukis, Saluki Pep Band, Psychology Student Association, and Indian Student Association. I am also honored to be part of Phi Kappa Phi and Psi Chi honor societies. In research labs like Dr. Mary Cashel’s Youth Violence Prevention Lab, I collected data on childhood aggression. Another lab, Dr. DiLala’s Twin Study, equipped me with coding skills and data entry for longitudinal studies.
I am thrilled about my acceptance into the PsyD program at the University of Evansville, where I aim to fulfill my dream of becoming a clinical psychologist. My time at SIUC has been incredibly enriching, and I am immensely proud and grateful. Go Dawgs!

Alex B Hamon

My name is Ally Hamon, and I am graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology. Originally, I am from Aviston, Illinois where my family still lives. Family is a big part of my life and some of my greatest motivators. Other motivating factors in my life come from a desire to make a difference. On campus, I was involved in several student organizations including the University Honors Program, Timmy Global Health, Pre-Professional Association, and Saluki Ambassadors. Within these organizations I volunteered time packing at gumdrops, giving new student campus tours, advocating for the physiology program, and educating students on the importance of health. Along with RSO involvement, I was involved in research on campus and worked with Dr. Buck Hales in the investigation of ovarian cancer. I specifically analyzed the impact of dietary intervention on collagen deposition in both normal and cancerous ovarian tissue. My future goals include attending medical school and pursuing a career as a physician. I will be attending SIU School of Medicine this fall to start this journey and could not be more excited to see what is to come!

Olivia Jackson

My name is Olivia Jackson, I'm from the really small town of Ware, IL south of Carbondale, and I am graduating with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. As an educator, I am motivated by seeing students succeed and enjoy learning. Some days might be hard for both myself and the students, but when content finally "clicks" for them, it is great to witness. It is motivating to see students motivated to learn. During my time here at SIU, I was involved in Saluki Ambassadors and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I spent three years on the leadership team with InterVarsity, and I
loved my time leading a small group Bible study on campus. RSOs have been a great way for me to find community here on campus. I volunteered as a site leader for The Big Event for two years. Additionally, I spend Sunday mornings volunteering in the Kindergarten and First Grade room at my church. My goals for the short future are to start my first teaching job and make a difference in my students' lives. Being from southern Illinois, I plan to stay around here to teach. I have loved my time at SIU and in the Honors program, and I feel my Honors classes, such as Making Math Fun for Children and Exploring Children's Literature, supplemented my learning for my major nicely to prepare me for this next step of becoming a teacher.

Brandon Lanning

Brandon Lanning is from Somerset, Ohio and will be graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Trombone Performance. During his 5 years at SIU, he has been part of the Marching Salukis as a Section Leader as well as a leading force within the Civil Engineering Design Teams. For the past three years, Brandon has taken leadership roles within the American Society of Civil Engineers and held design leadership roles for the SIUC Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe Teams.
After graduation, Brandon will be working at Nucor Buildings Group in Brigham City, Utah as a Design Engineer, designing pre-engineered metal buildings. Here, he hopes to gain engineering experience and leadership skills in order to bring this expertise back to Southeast Ohio. While in Utah, Brandon is excited to explore the western U.S. while climbing, biking, and hiking all that he can.  

Sarah B Lukavsky

Sarah Lukavsky received a degree in zoology with a minor in environmental studies. She is from O'Fallon, Illinois. While at SIU, Sarah was president of the Honors Assembly, Zeta Theta Omega, and Diversify STEM as well as being an active member in the Wildlife Society and Marine Biology Club. She volunteered with Green Earth for many of their events. She also was a SUPERB Scholar, McNair Scholar, and REACH Grant recipient. These allowed her to conduct three different research projects with Dr. Jenn Weber and Dr. Kurt Neubig in the plant biology department. These included a study on the pollinators, phenology, and an assembly of chloroplast genomes all with the genus Triodanis. Sarah also got to go to Costa Rica with the honors department for spring break one year and cross off seeing many tropical birds from her bucket list.
In the future, Sarah plans to pursue a Doctorate in evolutionary ecology while studying birds. Next year, she will be assisting in different field work jobs across the country before attending graduate school. Her first stop is here in Carbondale, where she will be assisting in a grassland bird and nest survival rate study. After getting her doctorate, she can't wait to become a professor and continue researching anything she can!

Kennedie Marks

My name is Kennedie Marks and I am a graduating senior with Bachelors in Physiology with Minors in Chemistry and Psychology. My main motivation in life is graduating after working hard for the past three years. I am also motivated because I am applying to medical school starting in May. This is a huge beginning to my career as a Physican. As a Pre-Med you hear all these amazing things that other students do and so they motivate me to do as much as I can.

Throughout my college career I participated in a variety of volunteer events. I was the most consistent with working with my church in the children's nursery. I enjoyed watching over them and I will continue to help out with that after I graduate. After I graduate, I would like to be more involved with my church.
o I was a part of a couple of different organizations. I was a part of the Pre-Health Professions Association, Alpha Chi Sigma - Beta Psi chapter (professional chemistry
fraternity), I was the Social Media Coordinator for the Saluki Science Ambassadors, and I was President of Science Dawgs.

My ultimate goal is to become a Physician in Southern Illinois. I have a couple of specialties that I am interested in however I am completely open to almost anything.
Right now, I am interested in Cardiology, Family Medicine, and Pediatric Cardiology. My goal is also to continue to live on the family farm. I have deeply enjoyed living in the country and I my hope is to eventually be the one in charge of it.

Audrey K Meador

I'm Audrey Meador and I'm from the charming town of Carbondale, IL. Nursing has been my dream since childhood—I was the kid with the pink plastic stethoscope, checking heartbeats and play-vaccinating my very patient puppy dog. My love for nursing didn't just stick; it grew right alongside me. Becoming a Registered Nurse was something I always wanted to achieve and I can't believe it's finally becoming a reality. Carbondale
shaped me, and studying here at SIUC has let me rediscover my hometown in the best ways. During my time here I've dived into campus life, from becoming a member of Sigma Kappa sorority to joining clubs like the Student Nurses Association and the Student Healthcare Management Association. Post-graduation, I'm setting my sights on the Cath Lab at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale—cardiovascular care has always been my passion! After gaining some real-world experience, I'm aiming to apply to Cardiovascular Perfusion school. I'm so incredibly thankful for my time at SIUC and I can't wait to see what my future holds!"

Alison Randla

Alison is graduating with a B.S. in Animal Science and a minor in Chemistry. In her time at SIU, she participated in biochemistry research in the Moran lab focusing on enzyme dynamics, was the president of Alpha Chi Sigma, chemistry fraternity, in 2023. She will be attending the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2028 for a DVM degree.

Israel Ruiz

I’m Israel Ruiz, I am from Chicago, Illinois. I'm a senior at SIU and I am a very passionate student who enjoys the outdoors and I hope to graduate from SIU with my Bachelor’s in Geology this May. During my time here I have been actively involved with the Hispanic Student Council as Senator. Eventually I had the privilege to lead the council as President while also serving for the Undergraduate Student Government as Director for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Last summer I had the
opportunity to do my own research at Penn State University where I worked closely with my mentor Samuel Shaheen who specializes in Geochemistry. For my project we monitored and evaluated surface and groundwater in contaminated communities in search of a correlation between oil and gas fracking and radioactive species. As I come close to graduating, I plan to work for a year or 2 before attending grad school where I plan to pursue a PhD.

Mandy C Thompson

My name is Mandy Thompson, and I am originally from Quincy, Illinois. I will be graduating from SIU with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in American Sign Language. I am motivated by the idea that I am going to be able to help individuals and my community in my career. I am often motivated by God’s call in my life and meditate on this quote from Saint Mother Teresa: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” At SIU, I was involved in Sigma Kappa, Social Work Student Alliance, Student Hotspotting, The Big Event, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Partners in Reading, Gumdrops, Adopt-a-Spot, Clarity Women’s Care, St. Anne’s Cradle of Hope, Prairie Living at Chautauqua, Shawnee Alliance, and the Newman Catholic Student Center. My goal for the future is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After graduating, I will be attending Washington University in St. Louis to obtain a Master's in Social Work with a concentration in Health and a specialization in Violence and Injury Prevention.

Carmen Wilder

Carmen Wilder is from Belleville, Illinois, and will be graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Through her four years at SIU, she has played clarinet in the Marching Salukis and has given over a hundred campus tours
as a Saluki Ambassador. She was an Orientation Leader this past summer and has also worked as a Campus Visit Representative in Undergraduate Admissions for the past two years. In her freetime, she is outside either hiking, biking, or playing pickleball.
Through the UHP, she has volunteered with Green Earth, Touch of Nature, and All Seasons Farms. She served as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion on the Honors Assembly this 2023-2024 school year. Her favorite UHP memory was studying abroad
in Costa Rica over spring break in 2022 with Dr. Conder’s honors seminar. After graduating, Carmen plans to take a gap year and work as a Community Outreach Worker for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, or ISACorps. The role is focused on helping high school students navigate the college process and future careers. During her gap year adventure, she also hopes to gain more shadowing experience before going to grad school for a Master’s in School Counseling.

Alaina Wilson

Alaina Wilson is from Clarksville, TN, and graduated in May 2024 with her Bachelor of Science in Zoology and her Bachelor of Arts in Languages, Cultures, and International Studies in Classics. In the Zoology department, she worked in Dr. Ed Heist's lab for 3.5 years as a laboratory assistant on conservation
genetics research in the Missouri River basin. The lab primarily works with shovelnose and pallid sturgeon, but occasionally also with paddlefish, other game fish, and a few times even sharks! In Classics, she was fortunate to take many of the Classics seminars including art history and ancient Greek tragic literature. She would like to thank Dr. Allen and Dr. Johnson for being such strong advocates for Classics education, and Dr. Allen particularly for being her first honors teacher!
In her time at SIU, Alaina joined Sigma Kappa Sorority, which partners in service with the Alzheimer's Association in several events throughout the year. In Sigma Kappa she held four chair positions in just two years, including as a chapter representative on the College Panhellenic Association Council. She also volunteered with local groups like Gum Drops and St. Francis Animal Care, and did several outreach events with the Honors Program, encouraging new Salukis to join the Honors Program. Elsewhere on campus, Alaina was a part of the American Fisheries Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. As a Chancellor's Scholar, she was student committee chair and director of the Imagine Your Genius Showcase, putting in over 100 hours in just a few weeks on that event. In the future, Alaina hopes to work in wildlife and environmental education, likely in a zoological educator role. She has found throughout her time at SIU that her passion lies in sharing her love of nature and wildlife with others. Following graduation she will be expanding her experience in education, and then looking forward to graduate studies in wildlife and fisheries science.