During my time as a Master’s student at SDSU, I worked with Dr. Susan Brasser where I studied orosensory mechanisms of alcohol drinking. I benefited from the extensive curriculum the program had to offer in topics such as statistical methods and neuropsychology. In the Brasser Lab, I gained valuable training in laboratory research using preclinical models, which provided me with a solid foundation of research skills that has helped me build a successful career in research. Altogether, my time at SDSU positioned me as a highly competitive candidate when I began applying to doctoral programs and ultimately allowed me to go to my top choice at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where I continued my research on the neurobiology of alcoholism. I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan (again, my top choice) exploring the neural correlates of reward with a highly distinguished researcher in the field. I have been very fortunate to work with preeminent members of my field, and my time in the Brasser Lab at SDSU enabled me to achieve these goals.