MEDIA, Pa. — Bandy Khoury, a fourth-year student at Penn State Brandywine, is paving the way for a promising future as she prepares to take her next steps in both academia and the professional world.
Khoury, who is majoring in psychology with a minor in biology, is set to graduate in December and already has her post-graduation plans in motion, she said, with hopes of pursuing a career in healthcare.
“I’m currently in the process of applying to graduate school,” said Khoury. “I hope to be enrolled by the fall of next year.”
Her solid foundation in psychology and biology will serve as a valuable asset as she pursues an advanced degree in genetic counseling — a field she recently discovered aligns perfectly with her long-standing passion for healthcare.
During her time at Brandywine, Khoury wasted no time getting involved. She joined the Multicultural Club, where she shared her unique perspective with other students and faculty. She also became a food pantry coordinator for the Center for Social Impact — a role that she said inspired her to extend that work outdoors as a campus garden intern.
In addition to her extracurricular involvement, Khoury also took on several academic roles on campus.
Her passion for helping others led her to become a peer tutor in chemistry, math and biology, she said, allowing her to share her knowledge and support fellow students along the way. She also gained valuable experience as a teaching assistant for Elementary Statistics in Psychology (PSYCH 200).
However, the work Khoury said she cherishes most has been her independent research study with her mentor and professor, Joshua Marquit (teaching professor of psychology). Over the past year, she has conducted extensive rsearch in the field of psychologoy.
"The work entails literature reviews, data entry and data analysis,” said Khoury. After completing the research, she compiles her findings into a poster and presents her work at the Student Engagement Expo, just as she did at the last event.
Along with her family and friends, Khoury said she credits much of her success to her professors and mentors at Brandywine.
“People here are very approachable and easy to talk to,” she added.