Name: Dante Nicotera

Field of Study: Biology and Psychological & Brain Sciences

Status: Alumni  

Graduation Year: 2020

Hometown: Hanover, MA

Why did you choose Catholic University? When I toured Catholic, it just felt so much more authentic and genuine than any of the other schools I had looked at. Everyone was so friendly, welcoming, and excited to meet me and all of the other prospective students. Even before I had decided to attend, it felt like a new community that I was a part of.

"I was constantly blown away by how much professors and staff go out of their way to help students succeed."

What activities have you been involved with? I was a part of the Orientation program for three years, in addition to being a member of the Honors Program, Wind Ensemble, and two research labs on campus (in the Biology and Psychology departments)

Favorite course: My favorite course that I was able to take at Catholic was one of my biology electives: Signal Transduction and Biomembranes. The class was a mix of graduate and undergraduate students, and I was able to learn so much from just listening to the graduate students talk about the experiments we were covering in class. What is so unique about Catholic is that there are no barriers between different groups of students– the graduate students are always so excited to work with the undergrads and interact with us.

What are your goals for the future? I am currently in the process of applying to medical school, and I hope to pursue a career in pediatrics and work at an academic children's hospital.

Is there a faculty or staff member who has made a significant impact on you? Steve Kreider, the Director of Campus Activities, has had a huge impact on my time at Catholic. I worked with Steve during my time as one of the Student Coordinators of Orientation, and he really helped me develop my leadership and professional skills.

What makes Catholic University unique? The community. Everyone at Catholic genuinely cares about each other, and that is evident in every interaction you have around campus. I was constantly blown away by how much professors and staff go out of their way to help students succeed.

Awards/recognition: I had the honor of receiving the President's Award upon my graduation in May 2020.

Proudest accomplishment: I am most proud of working as one of the two Student Coordinators of Orientation alongside Olivia Davis for the 2019 Orientation program. The Orientation program is so special to me, and it was amazing to be able to contribute to it and help it grow after serving as an OA for two years. Orientation sets the tone for the first year students’ experience at Catholic, and it was really special to be able to be a part of the team that helps make that first impression as authentic to Catholic as possible.

What Catholic University means to you: My freshman year, my Learning Community philosophy teacher Dr. Buttaci would meet with us every morning before class at the Starbucks in the Pryz to just chat! I was blown away that a professor would take time out of his morning and get to the University early just to hang out with his students before class.