I am…
Rachael Gerboth, and I’m excited to be graduating with a degree in biochemistry this May.

On scholarships…
My scholarships have helped me to afford some of the costs of my undergraduate education. This is especially important to me because I am anticipating the costs of pharmacy school as well.

Gerboth-2How I chose my major…
I grew up in Kennewick, Wash. We have a national laboratory and the Hanford site, so I was surrounded by science. Deciding to study science at WSU was a natural choice for me. I enjoyed an honors chemistry course and advanced-placement biology class I took in high school, so I decided to combine the two and study biochemistry.

The best part about school…
I get to learn as much as possible and pick the minds of the brilliant professors here. I especially enjoy my lab classes that involve hands-on learning and cooperation among lab members. One of my favorite labs was a molecular biology project class where I constructed and generated a mutant histone chaperone protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was similar to work I did during a 2012 internship with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where I was generating mutant Aspergillus oryzae strains for biofuel research.

Outside of class, I…
In my free time, I like to stay active in the community by volunteering at a local pharmacy. I’m eager to be a well-rounded citizen and to give back to the community.

What’s next…
I plan to continue my studies at pharmacy school. I think this will be the best way I can use my scientific knowledge to help make a healthier and happier community.

Three unique things about me…

  1. I can play the flute.
  2. One day I hope to run a marathon.
  3. I was almost born in a hospital parking lot.

Gerboth-3

To my scholarship donors…
Thank you for being a part of making my dreams come true.

Among others, Rachael received the Marvel-Dare F. Nutting and Audrey D. Dickson Scholarship. Sisters Marvel-Dare and Audrey created their legacy at WSU through their estate plans. Marvel-Dare received a master’s degree in chemistry from then-Washington State College in 1930 before her twentieth birthday and went on to earn her doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Rochester before enjoying a long and fruitful research career. You can add to this scholarship fund and be a part of this legacy by making a gift online. Your gift will be counted toward the $1 billion Campaign for WSU. 

To learn how you can create your own legacy at WSU, visit our Gift Planning site.