David Nhek

David Nhek BA '22

Pronouns

he/him

Degree and Class Year

BA ’22

Hometown

Columbia, Missouri

Major

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Extracurriculars

ASU, Health Professions Club

What three words would you use to describe L&C?

Fun, Exhausting, Hopeful

What’s your favorite class? How has it expanded your knowledge?

My favorite professor as of freshman year would be Calculus I and II with Professor Sweta Suryanarayan. Coming to college, I never thought about minoring in math or considered taking higher level math courses. Professor Sweta completely changed my mind on how I understand math. Rather than focusing on only the computation, Professor Sweta focuses on the proof behind each work. She made math fun and therapeutic to me. There are often times where I am stressed and I will just start my calculus homework. It makes me less stressed!

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

I do not just have one mentor on Campus. Every faculty member on campus has been really helpful to me. Professor Sweata (math), Professor Hermann (biology), Professor de Paula (chemistry), Professor Bierzychudek (biology) and Professor Gross (English) are some of the few people that help guide me in my college and career path.

There are a lot of people including both the students and the faculty who have made my experience here really enjoyable and fun. They provide me with a lot of supports and always ensure that I have a good experience here at L&C. I said exhausting as one of my three words because I am still in college and college is hard. The level of work that was expected of me in high school was less intense than being in college. It took me a while before I got used to the pace of all my classes and college in general. I said hopefully because I am still a freshman and I am really excited with all of the things that are coming my way while I am here at L&C.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

The liberal arts education of L&C gives me the ability to have a less restricted curriculum that allows me to explore the various subjects such as English, history, math, and science. I found that a stricter and traditional curriculum limited my ability to learn and be challenged by views and ideas that are different. The ability to explore all of these subjects would allow me to develop skills like problem solving, critical analysis, and effective written and oral communication. All of those skills are essentials but most people who are of the millennial generation—including myself—are lacking those skills. The skills that I will obtain from a liberal arts education will not only apply to my specific work area but also give me a deeper understanding of the world.

Why did you choose to do the Xplore program?

I chose Xplore program because I thought it was a great way for me to get to know L&C before the fall semester starts. It also pertained to my interest in STEM. I thought it was a great way for me to meet incoming students and the faculty on campus.

What was the best thing about the Xplore program?

I meet a lot of new people and learned about a lot of resources that are on campus that are going to be very useful in helping me with school and future career.

What advice do you have for prospective students?

Take your time to consider where you are going to college. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to a person’s experience in college so you need to consider all of those factors before making a very important decision.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

My favorite spot on campus would be the reflection pool. It is very calm and peaceful down there. My friends and I usually take a lot of pictures there when it is sunny outside.

What’s your favorite thing about living in Portland?

I just love how beautiful and green it is in Portland. I am used to having Missouri winter and when I was visiting L&C in the spring it was so green and the flowers were blooming while it was below 0 degrees in Missouri.