Melissa Kulpeksa is a biomedical science: medical laboratory science major from Enfield, Connecticut. Melissa, who is president of the Biomedical Science Society at UNH, recently attended the ASCLS Labvocate Symposium in Washington, D.C., where she had the opportunity to talk about issues facing the medical laboratory sciences profession and spoke to New Hampshire’s senators and representatives about changes that could be made to help.
COLSA: Why did you choose UNH?
Melissa Kulpeksa: Coming into UNH, i was undecided about what i wanted to do. What appealed to me about UNH was the number of majors that were interesting to me. I loved how i was able to figure out what the best fit was for me and UNH was able to give me that.
COLSA: What is your major and what do you love about it?
Melissa: My major is BMS: MLS, and what I love about the major is the option to go through the clinical track, where we have a semester-long internship spring of senior year and classes that allow us to take the ASCP MLS certification exam once we graduate. This major has so many options for students to pursue after their undergraduate degree, and I love how it sets me up for job opportunities right after graduation.
COLSA: What's the best academic experience you've had at UNH?
Melissa: The hands-on experiences I have had in my labs definitely been my favorite. It is so interesting to take the things i learn in the classroom and apply them in the lab.
COLSA: What should prospective students know about UNH?
Melissa: Even though UNH is known as a "big school," don't let that deter you! There are so many opportunities for students to create amazing friendships, like through clubs, classes, and the residence halls.
