Karen Salazar
Say hi to Karen Salazar, the Founder of MFA’s first Student Chapter at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. Karen graduates this month with a major in Neuroscience and a double minor in Human Rights/Conflict Resolution and Linguistics.
We caught up with Karen recently and here’s what she had to say…
What let you to choose this field of study?
At a young age, I was exposed to a lot of neuro diverse conditions including autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, attention deficit disorder, and Tourette’s disorder. As I gained more interest in how these disorders differ from typical development, I began looking for a field of research in cognitive development.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to obtain my master’s in Psychological Sciences to further my research skills and explore language involvement in autism and bilingualism. Ultimately, I would like to end up in a profession that can combine clinical and research work towards developing children.
Why did you become a student member of the Medical Fitness Association?
In my senior year of high school my tennis coach Kelley (MFA member and Fellow, Levander Kelley), reached out to me along with a few other athletes to start MFA student chapters. I did not know what college would bring and the thought was intimidating at the time. However, after my first year at CNU and with the support of Maya (see Maya’s MFA Member Spotlight), I was able to make the dream a reality and incorporate the fitness world into my science one with my love for research.
What other activities are you involved in at school?
I’m vice president of the Latino Student Association. I am a research fellow in the Reiff Center of Human Rights and Conflict Resolution. Lastly, I am an undergraduate research student for the department of psychology.
Thank you, Karen, for starting and fostering the first MFA Student Chapter!!