Hello, pleasure to meet you! My name is Alexandria Naftchi and I am from Port Orchard, Washington. I came to SPU wanting to pursue the pre-medicine track, motivated by my experiences counseling a close friend of mine through a parent's brain cancer and a crisis pregnancy. I soon became captivated by the myriad research projects in Seattle, and opted to enter the research-centered Cellular and Molecular Biology major in my sophomore year. I had the privilege of being part of many projects, ranging from novel HIV vaccine strategies and neural regeneration to biochemical assay development. In tandem, I volunteered at Virginia Mason and Bailey-Boushay House. At SPU, I served as the Haven (LGBTQ+ student group) librarian and the PHC treasurer.
Although my medical school application took shape fairly well, I noticed that my efforts in studying and overall course knowledge were not quite comparable to the grades I earned in coursework. At the end of my junior year, I gathered the courage to seek therapy and disability help and was able to earn a high MCAT score and high grades in 2/3 quarters during senior year. I am currently applying to medical school for matriculation in Fall 2020. I continue to volunteer at BBH, serving HIV-affected individuals as well as those with severe neurodegenerative conditions. I work at NanoString Technologies as a MS-level research associate, and am currently working on a sepsis diagnostic device. As a mentor, I hope to be a compassionate and knowledgeable presence for you, and support you with my own wisdom and networks as you progress through your time at SPU.
I am free on weekends to meet in-person and after 9 pm on weekdays for video conferencing. I am generally very responsive via text during the week. I hope to speak with you soon!