Biology major Julia Malone achieves success with support from Saint Mary’s community.

Playing varsity basketball her first two years, biology major Julia Malone values the camaraderie she developed as an athlete. “It was a great way to adjust to college, meeting not only first-year students, but upperclass women who could teach me the ropes. It kept me focused on school,” she says.

She discovered this mentoring relationship across campus in a variety of activities and situations, from her involvement in small faith-sharing groups to studying abroad in Ecuador.

“At Saint Mary’s, the general attitude of the students is very outgoing and forward-thinking. They are at the top of their game all of the time. It’s contagious to be in that kind of environment and be surrounded by women who are excited about learning, excited about what they’re doing at Saint Mary’s, and their prospects for the future. It just makes you want to be as on top of it and as prepared as you can,” Julia explains.

This can-do spirit pushed her to achieve success outside the classroom as well. As part of her senior comprehensive project, Julia sought out a dental research project at the Oral Health Research Institute in Indianapolis. Knowing she planned to pursue dental school, Julia wanted to participate in graduate-level research that would help her gain admittance. The resulting research testing two types of fluoride gels on tooth decay not only provided an excellent senior comp project (which helped her get into graduate school), but it led her to a state-wide undergraduate research conference in Indiana and later to the national conference in San Francisco where she presented her findings.

“It was really exciting, and the whole reason I did it was because Saint Mary’s has this program of students completing senior comps,” Julia says.