Quinlyn Highsmith

 This week, Notre Dame's AP Biology class got a visit from a graduate of the class of 2017 who is in a graduate program to become a genetic counselor. There were many points that stuck out to me and Quinlyn gave some very good advice.

First, she gave some overall advice for college. This included tips like making sure to communicate with your professors and taking classes that you actually have an interest in. She also highlighted the importance of doing internships throughout your college career. Internships are something that had always caught my attention and I think they could be really fun. I enjoyed that Quinlyn included this part because I am applying to and even hearing back from colleges right now and sometimes it can get overwhelming, so having this advice was very helpful. Quinlyn also made it a point to say to take a step back and enjoy the little moments. This is a lesson that I hold dear to my heart. I know time flies and I never want to take any opportunities or any time for granted. I'm glad she agrees.

Quinlyn is still in her graduate program, so she couldn't speak to us about what being a genetic counselor is like. She could only tell us about what she has done. I was still able to learn from what she told us. She said genetic counselors basically analyze DNA results and read them to patients, then they guide them to the next steps for whatever their goal is. One thing that surprised me was that she said there are genetic counselors for all stages in life, I didn't know this. I thought there were only genetic counseling for expecting couples. There are also genetic counselors for specific diseases like cancer and cerebral palsey. You can read more about this here.

I really enjoyed Quinlyn's presentation. She taught me about being a genetic counselor and also just being a college student. She was very grounded and down to Earth. her presentation didn't feel like a lecture, more like a conversation.

Works Cited

“Cancer genetic counseling - Making Sense of Your Genes - NCBI Bookshelf.” NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115516/. Accessed 1 February 2023.

“Department of Human and Molecular Genetics - M.S. in Genetic Counseling.” Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, https://gen.vcu.edu/students/ms-in-genetic-counseling/. Accessed 1 February 2023.“Family History of Cancer | Huntsman Cancer Institute.” University of Utah Health, https://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/screening-prevention/family-history.php. Accessed 1 February 2023.