A Student on a Mission:聽Mikara Palacious
BS Clinical Biology with Specialization in Medical Technology, Class of 2020
Originally from Freeport, Bahamas, Palacious feels driven to bring her skills back home, where she plans to open her own private lab.
Undergraduate student Mikara Palacious discovered her passion for medical technology early. 鈥淚 have been working in a medical lab since 2008,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 fell in love with this field, and from that point I knew I wanted to pursue it.鈥� Originally from Freeport, Bahamas, Palacious feels driven to bring her skills back home, where she plans to open her own private lab. But only after she accomplishes a few more goals. Upon completing her bachelor鈥檚 degree, she aims to earn her certification as a medical technologist before pursuing her master鈥檚.
Establishing firm short- and long-term objectives has been critical to Palacious鈥檚 success in Barry鈥檚 exacting program. She also prioritizes her tasks and manages her time in a way that allows her to get involved in Barry life while dedicating herself to her studies and her family. 鈥淧ursuing a degree is a lot of sacrifice,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y husband has been my biggest supporter, and any time I felt weary or overwhelmed, he was there to encourage and push me.鈥� Her other greatest cheerleaders? Her professors. 鈥淚 encourage students to always go to the professor to ensure they understand everything they are being taught,鈥� she says. She knows that her mastery of classroom theory will come in handy during the six-month internship phase of the program, which in turn will aid her preparation for her board exam. This is a standard way of thinking for Palacious: She is always looking several steps ahead, mapping the path to her dream career by accomplishing small and large goals along the way.聽