Undergraduate research opportunities set me up for success

NAME: Nicholas Bockenstedt
CLASS YEAR: 2022
HOMETOWN: Edgewood, Iowa
MAJOR: Biology

INVOVLEMENT ON CAMPUS: Student Senate (chairperson of the Diversity Committee), Supplementary Instruction instructor and manager, microbiology lab assistant

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WARTBURG: I kind of grew up here. My brother, Travis Bockenstedt, went here. He graduated in 2009 and was student body president. I already knew a lot of professors and it just kind of felt like home.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON YOUR MAJOR: I decided on biology because I have had ways had an interest all throughout high school in the biological sciences. I always found it interesting. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER GRADUATION: I will be attending Iowa State University’s immunobiology program. I look forward to researching viruses there and immune responses.

HOW HAS WARTBURG SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS IN YOUR FIELD: Wartburg set me up for success because it provided  undergraduate research opportunities, which is really great. I think that having that one-on-one time with faculty, more so for a small school, is important. You have your adviser, but you also have a lot of other people you know who are really good mentors for helping you figure out your path.

Nicholas Bockenstedt

WHAT TYPES OF RESEARCH DID YOU COMPLETE: Wartburg offers quite a bit of opportunities of undergraduate research. It starts freshman year. They always either do copepod research, which I participated in; and I know they switched to antibiotics, which is interesting. The research I am doing in Biology 455 and 456, that every senior takes, involves bacteria stages. We are looking at how they infect cells.

ANY ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: I always say that I wish I would have gotten involved sooner. I really do enjoy Student Senate. I joined it my third year, but I wish I would’ve gotten involved sooner. I also recommend joining things like Tri Beta if you are interested in that or whatever honor organization that your major has. Whether it is sports or any other extracurricular activities or clubs, I just really recommend getting involved.

WHY IS WARTBURG WORTH IT: You that one-on-one time with the professors. I don’t think that you get that anywhere else. I also think the community on campus is great. I think all the clubs you can get involved in will really make your experience worth it.