Major: Chemistry (BS)
Minors: Biology, Environmental Studies, History

For chemistry major and Westover Fellow Laurel Nicks ’21, the “endless possibilities” at Lynchburg made her time here special. “There’s so much you can do to get involved and advance yourself to invest in your future,” she says. Those possibilities for Laurel, a native of Grafton, Virginia, included a senior thesis project analyzing heavy metals in Central Virginia-raised honey, a month-long trip in Croatia, internships with NASA and the Department of Energy, being the goalkeeper on the Lynchburg field hockey team, training coordinator for ULEMS, Westover Honors Class representative, and chemistry lab assistant — although you could mostly find her hiking the trails along what was then College Lake or at Suzaku Cafe in Lynchburg. After graduation, Laurel moved on to the College of William & Mary for her master’s in chemistry with a specialization in environmental chemistry.