Courtesy:John Wilcox
Her Campus (HC): Word on the street is that you’re pretty involved on campus. Can you tell me about some of the organizations that you’re associated with?
John Wilcox (JW): I would have to say that my primary involvement is with the Service Scholars Program here at FSU, and also my diabetes research. The Service Scholars program, which is through the Center for Leadership and Social Change, is something I’ve been a part of since my start here at FSU.
HC: That’s great! Can you tell us more about your diabetes research?
JW: Yeah, of course! I volunteer at a Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic and I also am starting a position within the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Diabetes Clinic. I am very involved with undergraduate research as well. I am specifically focused on doing lab diabetes research, which isn’t really a strong research component at FSU. This particular area of research is important to me because I am actually a Type One diabetic myself. I wear an insulin pump and that is what really made me want to go into endocrinology and medicine. Through my involvement with the research lab that I have been a part of since my freshman year, I have been able to work with a clinical psychology lab looking at childhood fear of hypoglycemia. This eventually led to me working at Yale University between my freshman and sophomore year. Now, I work in a chemistry lab where we look at insulin pump leakages, and we have successfully filed for a patent for one of our designs.
HC: In other words, you’ve done a lot with your research!
JW: It’s been quite a journey for sure. I love FSU so much and they have really provided me with such amazing opportunities.
HC: It sounds like it. Speaking of loving FSU, you’re also involved with a new campaign, “The Power of We.” Can you tell us more about that?
JW: Yeah, I’m on the exec board for The Power of We campaign. Its purpose is to promote the awareness of inclusion and diversity within the student body and student organizations that encompass FSU. We’re a predominantly white university, and for the people who are not, who identify as minorities, that can be tough for them to feel comfortable in a lot of spaces. We hope to make FSU a place that everyone can feel accepted and welcomed. We’re under the Office of the President. It’s our first semester on campus, so we’re pretty new but we’re excited to see where it goes!
Side note: Along with learning about John’s amazing involvement with Service Scholars, The Power of We and his diabetes research, I learned that he is an avid volunteer, a pre-medical student, on the executive board for the American Medical Student Association and an active member in Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. Despite his amazing achievements though, John remains incredibly humbled by all of it. Personally, I was amazed by how well composed he was, despite the fact that he is clearly, a busy guy. So I had to ask….
HC: How do you balance it all?
JW: One of my favorite quotes is “I will feel more comfortable having lost rest and achieving everything, than having gained rest and achieving nothing.” That kinda sounds a little superficial but I am definitely a do-er. I try to do the most I can, the best way I can without spreading myself too thin. It’s all about managing time. One of the best things that a student can learn in their undergraduate career is time management. Oh, and reading comprehension.
In five years John Wilcox hopes to be getting into a residency, and more specifically a pediatric residency. From there he hopes to receive a fellowship for pediatric endocrinology, where he can continue his work with diabetes research. We wish John the best of luck with all of his future endeavors!