Kate Walker has been curious about the human mind and body since she was a small child. Her grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was young, and her uncle, a doctor, explained the processes happening in her grandfather’s brain so that she could understand more of what was going on.
“As an eight-year-old, I was trying to understand kind of what was going on,” Walker said. “[My uncle] decided to explain to me what dopamine was, what the different structures of the brain were, that sort of thing. So it sparked a passion, I think, really early on, for the practical applications of understanding biology and specifically understanding the brain.”
Walker cited this introduction to neuroscience as the gateway into a lifetime of interest. She started at Wake Forest planning to major in psychology, but decided to give the natural sciences another shot after taking a biopsychology class with Miranda Orr.
Walker added that her BIO 150 course with Dan Johnson launched her towards declaring a major in biology and eventually deciding to pursue a healthcare career.
“He’s my favorite professor,” Walker said of Johnson. “He is so funny and fun to be around. It was tough, and I needed that.”
Walker also discovered a passion for putting her studies into practice.
“I realized biology is probably a more efficient major if I decide to go the health care route,” she said. “And I realized that I really enjoyed the application of biology, both in healthcare and in life.”
She continued: “I felt like I kind of was putting together pieces of a puzzle that I just had always had some interest in, but I never really knew how to connect.”
In addition to her major in biology, Walker has a minor in neuroscience and is on a pre-dental track. She said she felt drawn to dentistry because it would allow her to help people while also working in an environment that allows for creativity.
“The mouth is the window to your overall body’s health,” Walker said. “And I think it’s good for preventative care. I think it’s good to bring people their confidence back.”
Walker said that one of the biggest lessons she has gained from her time at Wake Forest is how to study effectively. She advises students to form study groups with their classmates.
“I really learned the importance of talking to and connecting with my classmates through studying,” Walker said. “Getting to meet my wonderful peers—some of my best friends—and getting to work with such talented and passionate professors on these subjects, I think, really elevated my knowledge and taught me that collaboration in an academic subject is probably the most powerful thing that you can learn.”
Walker is also skilled at connecting with other students beyond the classroom. She is president of the Board Game Club, is on leadership for Campus Kitchen and Wakeville Arts Festival and is involved in the Pre-Dental Society.
Following graduation, Walker will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., for dentistry. She said that she is excited to enter a new chapter but is sad to see this one close because she has made so many great connections at Wake Forest.
“We’re all following our own path, and that’s beautiful in and of itself, but it is still sad because I know I’m gonna miss everyone a lot,” she said. “But life has a way of bringing people back together.”
