College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

From the soccer field to the research lab and from the locker room to the classroom, Annah Hopkins has made the most of her WKU experience.

“Balancing biology with a pre-med concentration and soccer was not short of its challenges,” said Hopkins, a biology major from Evansville, Indiana. “With an organized planner, hard work and determination, I excelled in my 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. days that included weights, classes, job shadowing, volunteering, practice, homework, studying, and more. With the utmost organization and dedication to being the best version of myself, I managed to maintain my 4.0 and excel on the field.”

Hopkins will be recognized as the fall 2023 Ogden Foundation Scholar at College Recognition Ceremonies on December 8, capping a journey that began with a visit to WKU as a high school freshman.

“I immediately fell in love with campus,” said Hopkins, the daughter of Eric and Amanda Hopkins. “It felt home to me. It just felt right. The people here were awesome and very welcoming. The coaching staff and teammates were very welcoming.”

But as they left campus that day, Hopkins wasn’t ready to make her college decision. “We got in my car to drive home and I was like ‘Dad, I think it’s time. This just feels right.’ We turned back around and sure enough I committed. I haven’t regretted a second.”

In addition to a successful soccer career, Hopkins excelled in the classroom at Evansville’s Reitz High School. “Academics and athletics played a role in my choice to attend WKU,” she said. “I loved that I could get involved with undergraduate research.”

She joined Dr. Ajay Srivastava’s research lab during her sophomore year at WKU. “As my research mentor, Dr. Srivastava has helped me grow immensely as a person not only in the lab but also in life,” Hopkins said. “We often would sit in his office to discuss my career plans to see what is best for me and discuss the sport we love, soccer. I am blessed to have had him as my research mentor.”

In Dr. Srivastava’s lab, Hopkins worked on a project using fruitflies to explore the link between neuronal migration genes and their involvement in tumor metastasis. “Annah joined my lab in January of 2022 and it was very clear that she was interested in genetics,” said Dr. Srivastava, Biology professor and Associate Director of WKU’s Applied Research and Technology Program. “Since joining my lab she learned various techniques, learned to induce tumors, and visualize them. She then assessed the neuronal migration genes in these tumors and collected data for it.”

Hopkins’ interest in pre-medicine and genetics research is personal. “Every other week there was a nurse in our home as I grew up. This nurse gave my father his infusion, Fabrazyme, for his genetic disease called Fabry. Because of this personal connection of seeing how medicine can further one’s life successfully, I have decided I want to be able to do the same for people by becoming a physician and prescribing life-saving medication when necessary.”

The genetic research was rigorous, tedious and time-consuming, but Hopkins was able to work around her soccer schedule and other activities thanks to flexibility provided by Dr. Srivastava’s lab.

“Time management is a big skill,” she said. “Without that I wouldn’t be where I am today. These past four years I’ve really grown in my time management and my dedication and determination.”

Next fall, Hopkins will attend the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

“As a mentor nothing is more gratifying to see than your mentees get to where they want to go,” Dr. Srivastava said. “Over the past several years at WKU I have mentored a good number of undergraduate, graduate, and Gatton Academy students. These students come into the lab with a lot of hope and rise up to the challenge and rigor in the lab.”

Hopkins’ work isn’t limited to the laboratory or the soccer field. She volunteers at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School, where she mentors a second grade student; at Med Center Health, where she assists visitors at the main entrance; and at Crossland Community Church, where she teaches a Sunday School class for first through third grade girls.

“I enjoy helping people. That’s my priority,” she said. “My grandparents say I have a servant’s heart. And I hope to do that with everything I do to serve others. I’m a Christian so being more like Christ every day for me is huge.”

Hopkins used other activities to prepare for her medical career. She interned as a patient coordinator at Med Center Health and shadowed Dr. Brian Macy, a family medicine and sports medicine physician, and Dr. Chaitu Malempati, an orthopedic surgeon. She is a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-professional honor society and the American Medical Student Association.

“The best part of my WKU experience has been meeting various professors, classmates, and teammates that have become my lifelong friends. I am very blessed for the people I have met at WKU,” she said.

Hopkins, who was named Conference USA All-Academic First Team this year, was in the WKU Soccer locker room with her teammates when she received the email notifying her of the Ogden Scholar award.

“I looked at it and I was shocked,” she said. “I read the email and teared up. My teammates were quite happy for me and gave me many hugs. It was a great moment to share with them as well. I was very excited. I am beyond blessed to have received this award that exemplifies my hard work and determination at WKU.”

As Hopkins reflects on her WKU journey, she knows she made the right decision as a high school freshman.

“I am very thankful to all professors, coaches, family members, friends, and everyone else who has helped me along on this amazing journey at WKU,” she said. “It’s been nothing short of a blessing. The people I’ve been surrounded with whether in the classroom with my peers, friends or professors, on the field with my coaches and teammates, or in this community, it’s been a pleasure to be here. I feel like I’ve grown roots here. I’m sad to leave but I know I’ll be visiting a lot. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here.”

• For information about WKU Biology programs, visit https://www.wku.edu/biology/
• For information on genetics research in Dr. Srivastava’s lab, visit https://sites.google.com/view/srivastavalab-at-wku
• For information about WKU’s Fall Recognition Ceremonies, visit https://www.wku.edu/commencement/

#WKUGrad series:  As part of our #WKUGrad series, articles on graduating students are shared in the weeks leading up to Fall Recognition Ceremonies. See all of their stories at https://www.wku.edu/news/articles/index.php?view=default&categoryid=799&multinewsid=187

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.