Haley Perry

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I first fell in love with Lewis & Clark’s beautiful campus, and then met so many nice people at L&C and in Portland. I felt like I could see myself being comfortable in the community both on and off campus.

What have you been doing since graduation?

I’ve done a couple different jobs to figure out what I want to do. I was working as a private tutor before I left the country with a fellow alum to travel Aotearoa for a year!

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for your job?

I made a lot of great connections with the students and professors at L&C. I also learned about both educational and social areas, through classes and the community on campus. Besides the actual information in class, I learned how to interact with people in my field and how to adapt to change.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at Lewis & Clark?

The most important lesson I got from L&C was how to accept myself. It took a long time, but I had the most supportive community and welcoming space to grow, and it allowed me to explore and discover my own mind alongside my peers.

Why did you double major in biology and psychology?

I knew I would study biology because I’ve always liked learning about how the natural world works. I was taking a lot of neuroscience classes when I realized I could study psychology as well, so I did both!

How do you stay connected to Lewis & Clark as an alum?

I get the L&C alumni newsletter, and I still have plenty of friends from L&C that I talk to regularly. I’ve also met alumni nearly everywhere I’ve traveled, which is always fun.

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

My favorite class at L&C was Intro to Linguistics with Professor Keith Dede—it added to my science background and expanded how I understood connected disciplines, since I was already studying neuroscience and could connect how language processing and human interaction and the brain all go together. Keith was a great teacher for students from different areas and made the class relevant to everyone.

Where did you find your community on campus?

I met most of my friends in classes or the res halls at first, and then through activities on campus. It wasn’t hard to meet other people—L&C can feel small to some people but it always felt connected and friendly to me. My two favorite communities outside my majors were the Fencing Club and Hillel.

Who was your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

Associate Professor Norma Velazquez-Ulloa! I took a few classes with her, and she was also the principal investigator when I worked in her lab during the summers. She has helped me a ton since graduating. She is an incredible teacher and really cares about her students.

If you studied overseas while at Lewis & Clark, how did you choose your program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience?

I went to London on the psychology program my junior year; it was an amazing chance to go abroad and live somewhere else for a few months, while learning about another country and cultural differences. I also got to meet up with friends on other European programs at the same time!

Biology Psychology