Alumni Board Scholar Profile: Q&A with 2017 Scholar Hannah deKay

Boettcher Scholar Year: 2017
Hometown: Silverton
College/Degree: Regis University – Majoring in biology (emphasis on pre-veterinary medicine), minor in art history

What are you currently interested in pursuing after graduating?

I would like to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine after graduating. I’m highly interested in the pharmaceutical aspects of animal sciences, disease research, and the biomedical application of drugs in agricultural industries.

Tell us about what activities, groups, and/or organizations you have joined in college and why you joined them.

I am currently involved in multiple clubs on campus and contribute to a research project under the biology department head. The research I am working on focuses on the bioluminescent systems of two particular genus of deep-sea fish: Paratrachichthys and Aulotrachichthys. The clubs I am currently an active member of are the Regis Ramblers Musical Theater Club, the Crochet Club, the Ski and Snowboard Club, and the Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society. I participate in these clubs because they reflect my interests and cultivate student communities of which I want to be a part.

Tell us about an important mentor you have had.

An important mentor who has impacted my life for the better is my high school ski coach, Sally Barney. She not only helped me improve my skiing abilities, but also gave me confidence in myself and pushed me to define my core life values that I live by today. Her encouragement and support broke down my fears of failure, and as a Boettcher Scholar at Regis University pursuing my passion for life sciences and art history, I certainly am better for it.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I have ever received was given to me by my father in the spirit of Leo Tolstoy’s three questions: “Always stop and reflect on when is the best time to do things, who is the most important one, and what is the right thing to do”.

If you could have dinner with one person or a few people from history, who would you choose and why?

I would choose to have dinner with Marie Curie, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and Mahatma Gandhi. I would choose these individuals because their humility is beautiful in alliance with their amazing influences on the world. None of them are overly grand in their philosophies and seem like they would be relatable and create an interesting conversation between each other. I also would add comedian Victor Borge to my dinner party because I think we all need someone to make us smile and laugh.