Bhavana Sirimalle

What does being a first-generation college student mean to you?

I think it means being someone who is incredibly independent, and having to navigate college on their own without much family support. I think it also kind of shows how incredibly determined one has to be a first-gen.

What’s something that you’re proud of that you’ve accomplished during your time at the University of Iowa?

I think the biggest accomplishment is I know I wanted to do science and pre-med since I was probably in middle school and high school, but I never knew how to get there, or even the process, and my first and second year I figured out kind of like the process — what I have to do, how I have to get there, and just all the resources available for me to succeed. So, I think that’s my biggest accomplishment in terms of figuring out how to get to my goal.