KSU SAACS

This month Busola interviews the lovely Ms. Tiffini Menhorn

1) Did you always want to be in the science field?..Did you try other fields and decided that they didn’t work for you..they didn’t challenge you enough?

Yes I always loved science. I took honors science classes all through high school and loved it. My first major was forensic chemistry, but I changed to the professional track. I changed in part because of the challenge but also because I knew that a B.S. on the professional track opened more options for me. Dr. Gwaltney and Dr. Condon also had a large influence on my change in major.

2). What eventually made you become a chemistry/biochem major?

I chose a chemistry degree initially because I really liked forensic science and KSU had a forensic chemistry degree.

3). What are the plans for the future?..graduate school?, professional school?

I would love to go to graduate school, but I plan on getting a job and hope that one day I can further my education. I have a son who needs to be my focus first.

4). Which teacher( could be science or non-science) has motivated/inspired you the most?

Dr. Gwaltney has been most helpful and I admire him. He expects nothing but the best from his students and is always available for any assistance. I took him for Organic I and II, I did research with him and currently I am taking his Identification of Organic Compounds class which helps a lot if you care to learn better how to interpret spectra. Dr. Condon was only with KSU for a year but I took his Quant class and loved it, just like Dr. Gwaltney interests me in Organic chemistry, Dr. Condon interested me in Quantitative chemistry. I also took Dr. Dockery for Instrumental analysis and it was really fun. He made the lab very interesting with it geared towards forensics, I would definitely take that class again.
Dr Kaledin was my P-chem professor and she was wonderful, very passionate about teaching and I don’t think I would have done well without her. I have been lucky with professors.

5). You’ve probably had a semester that knida sucked…you know …your classes were just hard and blah…How did you survive such an intense semester?

Oh yes I have! I was lucky to have awesome professors that worked with me and had friends in the classes that were going through what I was. So I always had someone to understand my frustrations and empathize with me about them. My family has also been very supportive. I had to just keep telling myself that if I do my best then that was my best and everything will work out.

6).Any advice for the freshmen?

Sure! Study as best you can, but don’t burn yourself out because when finals come, your mind will be like mush. Never give up, chemistry is not supposed to be easy and if I can do it, I know anyone can, you just have to prioritize and think of the future for yourself. Would it not be nice to say “I did that!” when so many do not even try a degree like chemistry?

7). Any words that you live by?
You could add anything else u want to, maybe some fun facts..thank you for your cooperation..

I really like a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “Women are like tea bags, you never know how strong they are until they are in hot water.” I also like Sir Isaac Newton’s quote, ” If I have seen farther then other men, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”
I would just like to say that my time at KSU as a chemistry major has been so rewarding. The chemistry department as a whole has made me feel like I belong there and that they care for my success.