Student Member Spotlight - Marissa Tharp

Name: Marissa Tharp
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Year: First year
Research interests: Factors affecting performance in a laparoscopic environment
Career aspiration: Work in industry as a UX research (ideally with a medical company)
Fun Fact: I was a pole vaulter in high school
Advice to younger students: These are three points of advice that I have found to ring true all throughout my academic journey:

1. Academic success is not about aptitude, it’s about attitude and how much time you’re willing to dedicate, and the sacrifices you’re willing to make.
2. All knowledge builds on each other so really take the time to gain a deep understanding of all the material you learn.
3. Don’t spend your time comparing yourself to others. We all have our own strength and weaknesses. Most time people try to only show their strengths while hiding their weaknesses. This makes it easy to get caught up in the comparison game.