Lee earns Goldwater Scholarship
University of Tennessee junior Hannah Lee of Farragut recently was awarded a $7,500 Goldwater Scholarship.
“I feel super honored to be selected as part of the incredible Goldwater community and thank the Goldwater Foundation for making it more possible for me and many others to reach our dream careers,” said Lee, a Farragut High School Class of 2019 graduate. “This scholarship has made me feel like my efforts to pursue a research career have been validated. It has definitely changed my future for the better, giving me access to a lot more networking, internship and other kinds of opportunities to advance my research career early on.
“Reflecting on this accomplishment, it has also made me appreciate everyone that has ever supported me,” Lee added. “I want to sincerely thank my wonderful mentors for their time, encouragement and patience in guiding my research journey. I also want to thank all my family, friends, teachers, community and the University of Tennessee for their support and opportunities in helping me become the studious undergraduate I am today.”
She learned she was a recipient in late March. “I had actually forgotten about this because I was busy with coursework, so my parents had to remind me,” Lee said. “We were all nervously hunched over the computer screen, looking at my e-mail to check for the announcement. And lo and behold, we saw an e-mail saying ‘Congratulations!’
“Initially, we thought it was some sort of scam, so we had to check the Goldwater website to make sure that it was not an error,” she added. “That is when I leapt out of my chair in excitement while my parents were hugging and congratulating me. ...”
Lee is majoring in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology and minoring in neuroscience.
“As for my future career plans, I am still considering different paths. But for now, I am thinking about pursuing a Ph.D in neurobiology in graduate school, and hoping to research disorders that involve neuroplasticity using data visualization and principles of graphic design and study the individualization of medicine in this specific field.”
