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Undergraduate Minors 

Clare Houston

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?  

I chose to pursue a bioethics minor because I believe in a harmony between morality and science; I think there is a balance we need to find between doing what we can and doing what is right when it comes to scientific and medical advancements. As an aspiring physician, I want to make sure I am equipped to find this balance in my future profession. 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why? 

I am particularly interested in the issues of abortion and euthanasia because of the polarized views surrounding them. I am also interested in learning how we can become better communicators of our ideas surrounding issues like these. 

 

What are some hobbies you enjoy? 

I have been doing musical theatre for seven years and love being on stage. I also enjoy making music, including playing piano, ukulele, and singing. My favorite way to spend a rainy day would be embroidering or sewing and listening to Taylor Swift or TedTalks! 

What qualities in another person do you value, and why? 

I most value the quality of empathy in others because I think that being able to put oneself in another's shoes is the purest way to achieve understanding and kindness. I work every day to be more empathetic for this reason. This quality is also important in bioethics because it allows us to see issues from different perspectives, which can lead to better decision making. 

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student & Intern

Clare Houston is from Torrance, California. She is a sophomore in the class of 2024, as well as a Biology major in the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. 

Anna Grace Kalvelage

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student & Intern

Anna Grace Kalvelage is from Boston, Massachusetts. She is a Junior in the class of 2024, as well as a Philosophy major in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. 

What are some hobbies you enjoy? 

I love dance and have been dancing for over thirteen years; I have taken ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, jazz, contemporary, and tap. Currently, I love exploring new coffee shops around LA, and reading at home with my cat, Neo. 

Why did you decide to become a Bioethics minor? 

I took Intro to Bioethics during the spring of my freshman year, and it has been my favorite class at LMU. My professor encouraged me to take up bioethics as a minor after I expressed how much I loved the class; I did not even know it was an option until he brought it up. I value learning and the importance of studying what you love, and when I learned that I could further pursue bioethics as a minor I knew I had to take it up. 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why? 

I love animals and the environment and am interested in environmental ethics and ethics surrounding the role that animals currently play in research and medicine. I am also interested in mental healthcare ethics, specifically in terms of adolescents and how much autonomy they should have over their own treatment. 

 

What might someone be surprised to know about you? 

I originally got into LMU as a Theatre Arts major,  and since then have switched my major to psychology, then English and psychology, and finally philosophy; the only thing that has remained constant has been my bioethics minor. As I mentioned, I value learning and studying what you love; I think I had been trying to study what I thought made the most sense for me based on past hobbies, and I had failed to ask myself what was making me happy right now; that is how I finally landed on philosophy and bioethics, and I have never been happier. 

Isabella Shin

What might someone be surprised to know about you? 

Someone might be surprised to know that I have a twin brother. We are very different as we went to different high schools and colleges. Most people, who did not know me in middle school and before, are very surprised when I tell them this.  

What is your favorite destination, and why? 

My favorite destination is Hawaii because I have been going there ever since I was little. My dad's family lives there, and he grew up there. It is always fun to spend time with family in such a beautiful and familiar place. 

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Isabella Shin is from Houston, Texas. She is a Senior in the class of 2023, as well as a Psychology major in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. 

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?  

I decided to declare a minor in Bioethics because I found my Intro to Bioethics course extremely interesting. I particularly enjoyed the case studies and applying what we learned in class to those studies. That being said, I want to take more bioethics classes throughout my time at LMU, so I decided to add the minor.  

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why? 

I am interested in the issue of informed consent as well as decision making and competence because a patient must meet the criteria in order to make an important health care decision. In addition, I am interested in the issue of abortion because it is very controversial, and I think it is interesting to read about the different perspectives as it also gives me further insight.  

Kiarah Hewitt

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Kiarah Hewitt is from El Dorado Hills, CA, about 30 minutes outside of Sacramento. She is a Senior in the class of 2023, as well as a Biology major in the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. 

What qualities in another person do you value, and why? 

I value someone who is loyal because I like to have people around me that will stick by, especially when I need them. I also value people who are kind and caring. Because who doesn’t want to be around someone who is nice and shows they care about you? 

 

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  

After graduating I hope to go to medical school. Once I graduate medical school, I hope to become either a pediatrician or an OBGYN.  

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor? 

I decided to declare a minor in Bioethics because I find the subject, and discussions within them, incredibly interesting. I am also pre-med student, and Bioethics by nature is truly relevant to the medical field. I felt that an education in the subject would offer me a greater insight into the ethics of medicine. 

 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why? 

Some issues I am interested in are the ethics of genetic enhancement and end of life care. These topics interest me because with ever-advancing technology in medicine, new questions are coming up about what are and are not ethical practices. I am super interested in the debates around these topics. 

  

What are some hobbies you enjoy?  

Two of my favorite hobbies are reading and writing. I have loved reading ever since I was younger, and writing is something that has become important to me in the last year or so at LMU. I also really love listening to music and baking. 

 

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Jake Bradford

LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Jake Bradford is from Roseville, California. He is a Senior in the class of 2023, as well as a Biology major in the Seaver College of Science and Engineering. 

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?  

I chose to minor in Bioethics because found looking at a different side of healthcare very interesting. After taking my first class I saw the wide variety of issues and topics that could be discussed. I saw this as a very valuable skill that had a lot of real world applications rather than being all science and STEM. 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why? 

I find the ideas of Physician assisted suicide and patient autonomy really interesting topics. These real ethical issues are something that people deal with everyday and have to think critically about. I find it captivating that healthcare professionals are applying the skills I am learning about. 

What are some hobbies you enjoy? 

In my free time do many things to keep me active. I like to swim, play soccer, and play basketball. These sports help me decompress and relax from the pressure of classes. I also enjoy to play guitar which I have been playing for 14 years. 

What do you plan to do after you graduate? 

After I graduate I plan to apply to Medical school. I hope that I can get a MD and start working in a hospital and help others. I hope to become an ER doctor as I believe it would be the best fit for me. 

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Kate Hansen is from Tacoma, Washington. She is a Senior in the class of 2023, as well as a Psychology major in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why?

I am most interested in the political aspect of bioethics. For example, I wrote an opinion piece for The Bioethics Hub on a government-mandated Covid-19 vaccine. I think that there is a fine line between autonomy and government involvement in bioethics, especially with such controversial topics like physician-assisted suicides, eugenics, and abortions.

 

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I am the head swim coach for a team at a country club in my hometown. I grew up swimming for this club’s summer swim team since I was four years old. I started working as a lifeguard and swim instructor at age 15. Two years ago, I started coaching for the summer swim team program. During Covid, in accordance with state restrictions, I created a plan to reopen the swim team during the summer for our kids. As I’m home for the Fall 2020 semester due to the pandemic, we have extended our program to a fall and winter swim team.

 

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

After graduation, I plan on staying at LMU to complete my Master’s in bioethics. I also plan on pursuing a law degree. I am most interested in working as a bioethics attorney or in politics at the state or national level. I believe that a bioethics background in politics is crucial for policymaking and understanding the science behind these policies that shape our country.

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?

I decided to declare a bioethics minor because I find the intersection between science and theology fascinating. With the advancement of technology and the current political climate, bioethics is at the forefront of many national and global issues. I believe that a background in bioethics is crucial for working in law or politics, which are two fields that I’m most interested in working in.

 

Kate Hansen

Violet Wright

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor? 

Bioethics felt like a perfect complement to my studies in political science. Observing and understanding the intricacies of care, morality, and ethics are critical pillars to ensuring just participation, equitable implementation, and increased access to the law and policy-making process.

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why?

Within the larger study of bioethics, I am interested in looking at the intersection between disability, self-determination, and justice. Specifically, I want to explore how the existing medical model could evolve into a more holistic, person-centered system - taking into account interests, preferences, intersectional identities, and levels of support needed - that is not hyper-reliant on false “norms” that end up serving many but few well.

What are some hobbies you enjoy?

In my spare time, I love to travel - my last adventure being a trip along the Irish coastline - bake anything with chocolate, and journey into other realities by reading novels and watching films. I am also a self-proclaimed coffee and tea connoisseur and am always looking for recommendations!

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I am constantly changing my look. Exploring my creativity through hair and makeup has long been a passion of mine!

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Violet Wright is from Sacramento. She is a Political Science major in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

Kayla Chang

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Kayla Chang was born and raised in Southern California and is in her second year of undergraduate study at Loyola Marymount University. She is a Philosophy major with minors in Bioethics and Chinese. She was the undergraduate intern at the LMU Bioethics Institute where she worked with graduate student, Cara Crew, on creating a page for the Bioethics Hub called “Radical Bioethics: Disability, Difference, and Desiderata”.

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?

I am interested in being involved in policymaking for medical research. I declared a bioethics minor to be involved with the current ethical discussions with advances in medicine and biology to prepare myself to attend law school.

 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why?

I am concerned about assisted reproductive techniques, genetic testing and screening, and clinical research ethics. Also, I am interested in the gray lines between morality and technology. Finally, I am concerned with environmental ethics and the responsibility and role of man for the earth and its inhabitants. 

 

What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I enjoy an active lifestyle of traveling, exploring outdoors, and swimming in the ocean. I am a big proponent of experiencing different cultures through firsthand experience.

 

What qualities in another person do you value, and why?

I value an open mind to new cultures and learning new things. I believe that with an open mind to the world, every person has the opportunity to continue to grow into a worldly citizen

Shreya Sachdev

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?

I decided to declare a Bioethics minor having taken “Introduction to Bioethics” and falling in love with the class. We discussed topics that I had never been taught in high school, and I loved being exposed to different viewpoints and perspectives that I hadn’t even thought of before, and that really made me think critically. 

 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why?

I’m really interested in how we allocate scarce medical resources, and I think that’s just because of everything we’ve gone through with the pandemic, and figuring out how we should allocate vaccines, COVID-19 tests, masks, beds, etc. It’s a very relevant and modern topic, and I would love to research more about it. 

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

People might be surprised to learn that I’m an international student! I have somewhat of an American accent, so people are surprised when I tell them I’m not from here. I’m from Switzerland.

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LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

What is your favorite destination and why?

My favorite destination is actually Los Angeles, which is why I wake up every day so grateful that I get to live in this city. I think Los Angeles is my favorite destination because I’m a Screenwriting major, and for film there’s no better place to be in the world than Los Angeles. 

What is the scariest situation you have found yourself in?

As much as I love Los Angeles, moving here was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do. I moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2021 for my sophomore year, and because the US still had their travel ban on most of Europe, my parents were unable to come with me to drop me off, so I had to come here all by myself. It was definitely scary, but also really exciting and a total adventure! 

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What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I love to dance and have been dancing for sixteen years specializing in hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and bollywood. I am also a coffee fanatic and love to try new coffee shops.

 

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I plan to attend law school and attain a J.D degree. I am most interested in working as a medical malpractice attorney.

Nikhita Karthikeyan

LMU Bioethics Undergraduate Minor Student 

Nikhita is an undergraduate student from San Jose studying Political Science and minoring in Bioethics

Why did you decide to declare a bioethics minor?

As a political science major wanting to pursue health law, I believe that a minor in bioethics would provide me with the perfect legal understanding for my career. Understanding morality and science is an integral part in the lawmaking process as there are many legal ramifications in healthcare. Ethical issues in the medical field is something that needs to be addressed and clearly understood to ensure the rights of individuals are protected

 

What are some particular bioethical issues you are interested in, and why?

Pertaining to bioethical issues, I am interested in issues that revolve around patient healthcare. I am specifically interested in topics such as informed consent, assisted suicide, and patient autonomy. As time goes on, questions continue to arise regarding the ethical aspect of these topics which makes me even more interested.

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