Ana Chernova
Biological Sciences, Alumna 18′
Ana Chernova (left) with her sister at the 2018 CSH graduation ceremony
Walking across stage and receiving my diploma a few months ago has made me reflect on the time I spent at DePaul and how far I have come as both a person and a student. First and foremost, my time went by way too fast. I feel like freshman year was just yesterday as I was learning the ropes of balancing classes and meeting new friends from club tennis. No matter how difficult the journey was, how many nights I spent crying in the library over organic chemistry, and how many times I have felt like giving up I will have nothing but wonderful memories of my time at DePaul. This is all because of the amazing people that I have met on my journey. A number of my friends also studied science and had goals similar to mine of becoming medical professionals. We formed study groups, struggled through the hardest classes, and got to watch each other grow through the challenges. I truly believe that I found friends that are going to change the world because of the limitless potential I see in every single one of them. The love and support I received from my friends during challenging times is what kept me going when I felt like giving up; after all, they are the ones who convinced me of my strength in times of doubt. DePaul was an amazing opportunity academically and there are many reasons why I chose to take my undergrad education here, but I believe the people I met are what made my experience so significant. There are not many schools that represent people from all walks of life so well. The love, acceptance, and encouragement of everyone being themselves is something that has made me proud to call myself a Blue Demon. At DePaul, people are celebrated for being individuals and I feel like it was the environment that made me comfortable enough to explore my interests and ultimately find my passion of becoming a veterinarian. My time at DePaul has come to an end and while no one knew what to expect on this journey, I always had faith that I would end up exactly where I needed to be. Thank you DePaul for giving me amazing memories to hold on to and lifelong friends that have turned into family. Together we are going to make the world a better place, one Blue Demon at a time.