Mentor Biography

My name is Jackie Olearczyk and I am a third year Biomedical Neuroscience major and Psychology minor. I grew up and went to high school in Boca Raton, Florida and graduated from Saint John Paul II Academy in 2022. One class I really enjoyed was Sex and Gender in Society. The class felt like one big discussion group where ideas and thought experiments could be shared. It was a great class to have as a “break” from my harder STEM classes but still have thought provoking conversations. My favorite professor is Professor Tye. I took his Biology II class and he was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He was very laid back and often would talk about his studies especially when it related to the lesson. His stories gave great insight to what it is like to have a career in research as well as be rather entertaining at times. I wanted to become a COMPASS mentor because I was once a mentee in the program, and it really helped me to learn about different majors and ultimately pick the one I’m in now. I want to give that same opportunity to students just like how I was, unsure and needing a push in the right direction. I think this is a great program to help students find community as well as find their passion and what they would like to pursue in life. A lot of my time is spent in the library with my friends so that I can get work done while also being able to take breaks and pace myself, as studying alone can lead to being distracted and I find I get way more work done when there is a productive atmosphere. I also enjoy playing board games in my off time, as it allows me and my friends to get together while not focusing on work, and it gets us all in one place to have fun.

My best advice for incoming COMPASS students is to study hard, but always find time to socialize, eat, and sleep. Being stressed, tired, and hungry will be more detrimental to your grades and well-being than studying non-stop.