Lauren Bruna, Sophomore in Life Science, Minor in Leadership Studies
Lauren Bruna is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Life Science and minoring in Leadership Studies, and she wants to share part of her K-State experience with you.
Bruna has always been passionate about helping other people, and she chose Life Science because it was a great balance of science, math, and humanities. Life Science is an interdisciplinary major in the College of Arts and Sciences, which means students in the program have the opportunity to study multiple disciplines rather than the narrower focus required by a major in a single discipline. Life Science is the multidisciplinary major that deals with studies of living organisms and life processes.
After choosing her major, Bruna had the opportunity to enhance her classroom experience with a CAT Community. Connecting Across Topics (CAT) Communities are set of learning communities specifically designed for first-year students. They are designed around student interests, and they offer mentoring from a professor and an advanced undergraduate Learning Assistant who shares the students' interests. They are an ideal place for students to meet each other and to study together.
“My freshman year, I was involved in a Pre-Health CAT Community, which helped me create many friendships and connections,” said Bruna. “We got to explore medical memoirs, which is something I had never done before.”
Academics are important, and sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of classroom learning, research, and homework. Bruna wants to share a message about balance:
“It’s possible to have fun and still be a good student,” she said. “You just need to figure out time management. For me that was treating school and work like a 9-5, after 5 I hang out with friends and relax— but from 9-5 I try to study and get work done. I also feel like spontaneous trips to the Varsity Truck or the Konza Prairie have kept my friends and me sane.”
K-State offers many different opportunities that allow students both to learn and grow (in and out of the classroom) and to have fun and relax. Check out the Virtual Connections and Engagement page to see some of the resources available to K-State students.
“Coming from a small town to a big college can be overwhelming,” said Bruna. “But I feel like I really found a home here in MHK. The down-to-earth atmosphere always reminds me of home.”
Lauren Bruna found her home in the College of Arts and Sciences, and you can, too! Don’t make the world wait—you can be the next game-changer. Visit K-State to see the incredible campus and community, and imagine your future with a purple start.