Grace Walunas ’29

Hometown

Matawan, NJ

Intended Major

Biology (pre-med track)

What is a big question that you think the liberal arts help us to explore?

A big question that I believe the liberal arts helps us to explore is: What does it mean to be successful in our lifetime?

What is one favorite quote or idea of yours from any class you've taken in the foundational core?

One idea that has stuck with me from the foundational core is that it is important to question our own beliefs and what led us to believing them. These core classes have taught me the importance of looking at situations from multiple different persepectives before immeditaley assuming my first formed opinion is the correct one.

How do you hope your studies will help you make a positive impact in your community?

I hope that my studies lead me to a career in healthcare, with my dream of working in Pediatric Oncology. I want to be able to help kids and young adults through extremely challenging times of sickness, in hopes of helping them maintain or recognize that they have a positive attitude surrounding them, and that they are capable of getting through even their hardest days.

What are you most excited about for the future of the Pioneer Scholars?

I am most excited to work with our cohort in CIT. It is really exciting that we get to have both sections of CIT together, because we will truly get the chance to know and understand each other throughout the course of the year.

Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope to have after graduation?

After graduation, my plan is to eventually go into healthcare, so I hope I am able to leave a lasting impact of helping others while also bringing positivity into as many lives as possible.