Life After Stetson

By Michael Hodges

Sara Dodson graduated from Stetson University in 2002 with a degree in Behavioral Psychology.

Why is this remarkable? Stetson does not offer a Behavioral Psychology major; Dodson created her own as an outgrowth of her Honors experience. 'I took advantage of the Honors Program option to design my own major," said Dodson. "In fact, I feel that designing my own major was one of the best opportunities that being in the Honors Program afforded me. I basically melded some of the core Biology and Chemistry courses with a full-load Psychology major."

Dodson has since continued to parlay that opportunity into academic success. She is now working on a PhD in neuroscience at Emory University, where she is examining Alzheimer's disease. Dodson says that after she finishes her PhD, she 'would like to stay in the academic setting and continue a career in Alzheimer's disease research."

When asked about her memories of the Honors Program, Dodson most strongly remembers Dr. Wayne Dickson. 'I took three courses from Dr. Dickson - Humanities 1 and 2, as well as junior Honors seminar, which I enjoyed immensely. Wayne wrote one of my letters of recommendation for graduate school." Beyond the simple facts, Dr. Dickson brought a personal touch to his teaching. Dodson says that "He has always treated his students as intelligent minds with important things to say. In a time where we are accused of apathy and disinterest, Wayne gives his students a voice and continually encourages them to use that voice."

As Dodson moved on to graduate school, the connections she had formed in the Honors program served her well, and in surprising ways. "As the first few months passed, I began a research rotation in the lab of Dr. Jim Lah. It took me a few weeks into my rotation before I realized that Jim was actually Wayne's son-in-law. I ended up joining the lab for my thesis project and Jim is now my mentor." Looking back at her Honors experience, Dodson has a few suggestions for current students. "Take advantage of the opportunities and advantages that being in the Honors Program provides ... You may think you're just ending up with an asterisk by your name in the graduation program, but when I look back to my favorite classes (and definitely the ones I skipped the least!), many of them were my Honors classes."