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Bianca Lane at the ROTC museum in Barton Hall.

Robert Barker/University Photography

Major: Biological engineering
College: Engineering
Hometown: Brookeville, Md.

I chose Cornell because I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle the challenge of an Ivy League institution. But I truly fell in love with the university after visiting with my dad for one of his class reunions. I remember being amazed at all the history, tradition and especially the school pride that everyone had for their alma mater. Their dedication helped me realize that there was something about the Cornell experience that made it unlike any other.

For the past four years I have been a cadet in Cornell's Army ROTC program. When I started college, I was shy and somewhat insecure about coming to a place where I was competing among the best and the brightest. However my involvement in ROTC allowed me to grow immensely. The design of the ROTC program forced me to take on responsibility relatively early. At times, the pressure was daunting, but by accepting it, I was forced to mature more quickly.

The ROTC experiences at Cornell have helped me build confidence and leadership capabilities I didn't know I had. In short, they have had a significant impact on who I am as a graduating senior.

Becoming a resident adviser (RA) was a proud moment for me at Cornell. Being an RA is a well respected, highly influential student position, and it requires you to be able to handle many different roles. As an RA, on any given day I may be asked to be a friend, a mentor, a counselor, a disciplinarian or even an administrator. Although my experience as house manager for my sorority gave me some foundation skills, most of the RA approaches I use were developed with on-the-job training. Dealing with the administrative end of things was easy. Rather, it was my ability to help the residents cope with their unexpected personal issues that truly tested my RA capabilities. There were times when my mind was racing, but on the outside I had to appear calm and collected.

Being an RA is by far the most rewarding job I've had. If you do it well, your residents will show their gratitude and appreciation. That really makes the hard work worthwhile.

My interests have certainly been shaped by my academics and the faculty members I've met during my time at Cornell. During my junior year, I began working as a research assistant in the Cardiovascular Developmental Bioengineering Laboratory, where I studied the mechanicobiology of the developing atrioventricular valve in chicken embryos. As a result of this work, I realized that I wanted to further my education in the biomedical field. This summer I hope to find a similar research position using biomedical techniques to further our understanding of the heart muscle.

After graduation, I plan on delaying my military service to attend graduate school, where I will continue my focus on biomedical engineering. Ultimately, I hope that the knowledge I've gained from my biomedical training will aid me in my pursuit of medical school. In 10 years or so, I hope I will be working in the active military as an army doctor.