Kyle Alves
Compare your career plans as a first-year student with your career plans now. Why did your plans change or not change?
As a first-year student, my career goal was to attend medical school and become a neurologist, which luckily is still the path that I am currently pursuing. The Health and Exercise Science (HES) major has fostered my interest in medical school as well as opened opportunities for gap year positions between graduation and medical school. Throughout my 4 years at Wake, that plan changed courses a few times but I ended up where I was hoping to be when attending my first class in 2020.
Imagine you return to campus for your 10-year reunion. What do you hope will remain the same? What do you hope will be different?
I hope that the six residence halls on the main quad as well as Wait Chapel remain unchanged in 10 years. Having spent 4 out of 6 semesters on campus residing in the Hearn Plaza residence halls, some of my fondest reminders of life as a Wake Forest student came from being around that part of campus. If I come back and things are different, hopefully they will still be similar enough that I will not get lost for Homecoming weekend.
What was the most rewarding experience you had as a Wake Forest student?
The most rewarding experience I have had as a Wake Forest student was presenting my Summer research project at URECA day this fall. It was a culmination of the lessons and knowledge I had learned from working with the HES department over the summer. It is a day I will never forget.
Who most impacted your Wake Forest experience?
I wouldn’t say that one individual impacted my Wake Forest experience, rather all of the people I met during my last 4 years here. Each and every student, professor, and faculty member that I interacted with had a positive impact on not only my academic experience but my overall wellbeing throughout my day to day life.
Wake Forest has lots of traditions, and sometimes students create their own. Do you have a favorite Wake Forest tradition?
My favorite Wake Forest tradition is and always will be Hit the Bricks. I was lucky enough to serve as a fundraising committee chair for both the 2022 and 2023 events, alongside other driven students. Being able to raise money and awareness for cancer research while running laps around the quad will always be one of my favorite traditions.
What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?
My favorite class outside of my major or minor was Introduction to Bioethics (PHI161), taken during my first semester here. Dr. Kadlac created a course that generated meaningful discussion and conversations during a semester plagued by COVID-19. The classwork was intriguing, utilizing different forms of media to educate us on the class topic, all while making sure to respond to our analyses of the works we read. When friends or classmates ask about a divisional class to take for a following semester, I will always recommend Introduction to Bioethics.
What song or songs will always remind you of your time at Wake Forest? Why?
One song that comes to mind is the Wake Forest Fight Song. Whenever I hear that after graduation, it will bring me directly back to supporting the football, basketball, and soccer teams. Another song would be “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, a song that my friends introduced me to during sophomore year and one that I’ve listened to repeatedly ever since.