Natalie E Pearlman
UW Honors Graduates
Natalie E Pearlman

Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology
Designation: Interdisciplinary Honors
Honors Grads 2017/2018
Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at UW was earning the Susan Huscroft Endowment, a two year scholarship for future physicians.
nepearlman@gmail.comMy dad has always told me to do what scares me most in life, that anything worth doing is always a little scary at first. Moving all the way from the Central Valley of California to the big city of Seattle, Washington certainly qualified as a scary decision but it has turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. During these past four years at UW I have had incredible opportunities to explore both myself and the world around me. I have studied Alzheimer's using a Drosophila Melanogaster model and presented my research twice. I have taught a guest lecture for an intro level biology course and co-wrote a section of the lab handbook used by hundreds of UW students every year. I backpacked along the Missouri River along the route that Lewis & Clarke took. I walked in the Andean Mountain Range in Peru and Ecuador studying feminism and traditional Indigenous culture. I mentored 8 underclassmen students and co-Directed a leadership development program funded by student dollars. I studied everything from Shakespeare, Molecular Development, and Islam. I made incredible friends who have made me laugh, smile, and love life in a way I didn't know was possible. The degree I am earning from UW encompass all of these experiences and so many more. As I prepare to navigate the world outside of UW, I will continue to strive to find ways to challenge myself and explore the world around me. Eventually, I plan to attend medical school and serve as a doctor and change-maker in the rural health care sector of America. Thank you so much to my family and mentors who have helped me along the way.