This page lists the skills I have cultivated while pursuing my master's degree. I have made these lists as comprehensive as possible, and I have included examples or explanations, as opposed to simply listing the skills like on a resume, to demonstrate my talents. 

Throughout my academic journey, I have explored many opportunities to attain both hard and soft skills. Participating in professional organizations has been a great way to meet experts in the field and stremgthen my networking skills. Additionally, Northeastern University has an amazing website called NUSource where they pair students up with alumni in the field with similar interests or that work at a company of interest to the student to develop mentorship or referral relationships, and I have connected with several professionals through that service. 

I have always carried myself with a high level of respect for others and I have strong listening skills, which makes networking seem more like socializing than "training". I love learning what others do and how they got there, and I love to share my story. So much more can be communicated in just a few minutes of networking than anything that gets listed on a resume! 

I came across a statistic yesterday that indicated that only ~10% of job opportunities are obtained through employment boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, or ZipRecruiter, and that more than 80% of opportunities come instead from networking!!! Additionally, most open positions are never even listed on job boards, but rather, filled through networking! I am uncertain whether this holds true for internships/co-ops, but regardless, this staggering reality underscores the vital importance of connecting with others. 

I have also worked really hard to distinguish myself from other students in terms of what I am learning- I have taken every opportunity I have come across to integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computational skills into my growth. As animal studies are being phased out in favor of in silico research and computational simulations, and as next generation sequencing (NGS) continues to result in exponential increases in data, computer science and data analysis skills  will become ever more essential for the biologist. I am prepared for tomorrow's research and discoveries!