December 23, 2020
Alissa “Ali” Boyd knew she wanted to stay close to home while seeking her college education. Now a senior at Shawnee State University, she is pursing a degree in Natural Sciences as well as a minor in Psychology.
“I have always had an appreciation for the body and how it works,” she said, whose degree is concentrated in Biology. “Many people find the body gross, but I look at it as beautiful. I think this major had a solid and broad area of classes in natural science that have given me a wide variety of knowledge.”
With this major, Boyd has the opportunity to study the human body in depth, understand how it functions, and add experience to her resume. She was inspired to pursue a medical science career by her grandmother, who was a nurse.
Outside of her degree, Boyd has found her place in SSU’s Student Life by joining the Theta Phi Alpha sorority. Describing herself as a generally quite person, she found joining a sorority was a leap of faith for her.
“I joined the sorority to try to open up and break out of my shell in hopes to make new friends,” she said. “I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.” Boyd found a connection with Theta Phi Alpha’s mission to promote comradeship along with advancing philanthropy goals and promoting a support system for its members.
“We aim to advance our collegians’ educational, social, and philanthropic interests as well as train our girls to be leaders,” she said. “We hold ourselves to high moral standards. And of course, we aim to create lifelong bonds of friendship.”
Finding connections in the sorority has helped Boyd in preparing and succeeding in her academics.
“Many times, those in the same degree or who have classes in common will meet up at their dorms, houses, or elsewhere to study together and help each other out.”
In addition to her degree and student life experiences, Boyd is hoping to continue her education in the Emergency Medical Technology (EMT) program and eventually attend school to become a Physician’s Assistant. She plans to graduate from SSU in May 2021.