Natalie Vitek

Class Year

’25

Hometown

Raymond, WI

Major(s)

Neuroscience

Natalie Vitek ’25 is a neuroscience major with a concentration in pre-health. She works as a zebrafish assistant on campus. The position involves feeding the fish, cleaning tanks, checking the water quality, and taking inventory. After Carthage, Natalie hopes to attend medical school or physician assistant graduate school and specialize in pediatrics.

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“I chose Carthage because of its reputable pre-health program, small class sizes, and personable professors. The view of Lake Michigan is a significant bonus!”

Natalie Vitek, ’25

Toughest class

“My most challenging class at Carthage so far has been Organic Chemistry because the concepts are advanced and exams require hours of studying.”

Campus involvement

“I am the vice president of the Pre-Health Club. The best meetings are when we bring health professionals to speak to the club about their job. I am also a resident assistant on campus, which allows me to be involved in residential life. I enjoy putting up bulletin boards and making door ‘decs’ in the halls.”

Golden opportunities

“In January 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras with Professor Daniel Miller and Professor Paul Martino for J-Term. The best part of this trip was the shark dive, where we got to scuba with Caribbean reef sharks underwater!”

Favorite memory

“One of the best parts of my week I look forward to is working as a barista at Starbucks on campus. It is so great to see friends and make fun drinks for students!”

Biggest surprise

“Something I did not think would have as much of an impact as it has is the Brainard Writing Center and tutoring availability on campus. Both of these helpful tools have helped me extraordinarily in my classes. It is reassuring to have classmates work close with me to offer support. Shout out to the best organic chemistry tutor, Vanessa Gonzalez!”

Advice for other students in your major?

“The neuroscience major has multiple opportunities to participate in research, namely with rats and zebrafish. If you want a research career or be accepted into graduate programs, these unique experiences will set you apart from other applicants.”