By: Emma Herb and Morgan Fimreite
Emma Herb (‘24) graduated from St. Norbert last winter with a degree in Biology (Biomedical Science). Her first year at SNC, she was on the women’s basketball team, participated in Emerging Leaders, a program which partners students with an organization on campus to plan a volunteer project, and Student Government Association. By her second and third years, she worked as a Resident Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and Academic Peer Mentor for multiple Genetics courses. In addition to being a great student and involved in many activities, she has participated in two Global Seminars, to Spain and Africa.
Emma chose SNC because the small campus and the tight–knit community reminded her of the small town she grew up in, where she loves knowing so many people. After touring the school and watching a women’s basketball practice, she felt SNC was the perfect fit. She also recognized the amount of opportunities she could take advantage of without taking on too much. When the Honors Program reached out, she was filled with excitement, but also nervous at the amount of work she would have in addition to her coursework as a pre-medical student. However, she quickly learned that the Honors Program is designed to facilitate and encourage excellence and support students.
Talking with former Honors students, Emma was able to gauge what she was interested in and what would be best for her in the long run. She began logging all the hours she spent participating in every activity and group, which saved a large amount of time when applying for PA school. She was encouraged to take classes she was interested in, to push herself, and to improve on skills that needed to be strengthened. A lesson that needed to be learned was that excellence comes from learning and retaining information, not the grade you receive, which is hard for some Honors students to fathom.
Her freshman year, basketball served as a way to release stress and a break from studying. Learning new plays, working with new teammates, and playing made Emma eager to work hard in both basketball and classes. She was absolutely crushed when she tore her ACL and needed surgery only five games into the season. She knew that without her break from school, she would be in for a challenge. The balance she had worked hard to find was coming undone. Emma turned towards Student Government and applied to be a Residential Assistant to help expand her skills outside of the athletic world. After months of rehab and therapy, she wasn’t able to be cleared for basketball and she had to make a hard decision. Making the choice to not play basketball helped Emma acquire a new maturity, knowing it was not quitting, but moving onto the next part in life.
Realizing she could graduate early, it became a goal she could strive towards even though it was intimidating. She wanted to take time to find out what career she wanted to pursue. During her undergraduate education, she set herself up for medical school and prepared to have a competitive mindset. Doing this, she would also prepare for other careers in the healthcare field. The MCAT is a very daunting test, but Emma prepared for it while job shadowing several physicians. She did not love the lifestyle and the job like she thought she would, which terrified her as she had been preparing for this track for years. While shadowing, she was introduced to Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, which she found a stronger connection with.
In addition to many opportunities and resources, the Honors Program also offers students lifelong friends. Emma and her friends push each other to do their best work and help manage their struggles together. While Emma is sad to leave her family and friends at SNC, she is excited to continue her education and reflect on what she wants her life to be in the future.
Emma is currently in a gap year, taking the last course required for PA school. She is looking forward to starting a new position at a senior living community as well as spending more time with family before her anticipated start of PA school in May. Her top two choices are Marquette and Madison.
