Jackson Phillips always knew he wanted to attend college “far from home.”
“I’m from Minnesota originally, and I spent my entire life there,” Phillips explained. “I was looking for places far away… at the time, I wanted to do a psychology major, and [Wake Forest] looked like a good place with a good psychology program.”
After enjoying his visit to campus, Phillips applied early decision to Wake Forest. But he wasn’t so confident about his choice of major after his first semester.
“I took a good amount of psychology classes and didn’t really enjoy them that much,” Phillips said. “I wasn’t very engaged and didn’t find them very interesting. But the chemistry classes I took were the exact opposite.”
Chemistry had never before been “on [his] radar,” Phillips noted.
“It was just a means to an end to get through the pre-med classwork,” he said. “Then I ended up loving [chemistry] more than I would have ever expected.”
He particularly enjoyed his first taste of organic chemistry.
“[Organic chemistry] felt like a different class… sort of like learning a language,” Phillips said. “That really spoke to me. I figured, if I actually enjoy learning [chemistry], I might as well make it my focus.”
Phillips has a second major in religious studies and is thrilled when he discovers an overlap between his two interests. He said both disciplines underscore the interconnectedness of the universe.
“Everything is interconnected, everything is working on the same mechanism, everything is ultimately the same,” Phillips said. “It’s all atoms, all molecules interacting. [Chemistry] gives you a very different perspective on your role in the world and the universe and with other people.”
He continued: “It’s interesting how unified [religion and chemistry] are in that specific trend of thought because they’re so vastly different everywhere else and yet they come together on that—that idea that it’s all one.”
Phillips has also forged meaningful connections with his classmates in the chemistry department. He said the rigor of the major “forces” camaraderie.
“I’ve gotten really close with pretty much everyone in the major,” Phillips said. “You do lose some soldiers along the way. There’s a bit of attrition, especially in the early years, but those that do make it, you get very close with. I know every person in my capstone class and am friends with [them], which is really great to be able to say.”
Phillips also observes similar traits and “trajectories” among his peers.
“We’re all driven, all capable,” he explained. “So I’ve found that I’m extremely similar to a lot of these people with a lot of similar interests and goals and hopes for our lives.”
In particular, he said, study sessions with his sophomore year roommates helped him succeed.
“The three of us would just sit down together and spend eight hours a day going through practice problems together,” Phillips recalled. “The burden of studying… encourages a group approach and creates community.”
He also appreciated the encouragement of his mentors in the chemistry department, including Dr. Ulrich Bierbach, his favorite professor.
“You can tell that the classes he’s teaching are his passion projects, and he really brings that into the classroom,” Phillips said of Bierbach. “He’s very easy to vibe with. I like talking to him outside of class, just about random things. He’s very laid back.”
He also expressed appreciation for his Principal Investigator (PI), Katherine Albanese, noting her kindness and intelligence.
“I’m extremely lucky to have such a supportive mentor who’s so willing to help and so engaged in my research,” Phillips said.
After his graduation, Phillips is moving home to Minnesota to work as an Emergency Medical Technician while he applies for medical school.
