Bearcat grad says 'push the boundaries'

Erin Tepe’s college experience was no exception. The recent University of Cincinnati graduate forged her own path through new opportunities she gained as a Bearcat.

Tepe began her higher education at Bowling Green State University as a neuroscience student. But after two years at BGSU, the Dayton, Ohio, native decided it was time for a change. She transferred to UC and changed her major to neuropsychology. Tepe says she was more interested in the electives UC offered and liked the size of that program, offered in the College of Arts and Sciences. And, she added, Cincinnati is still close to home.

“It was definitely the right choice,” Tepe says on her decision to transfer. “I met a lot more people, and I really liked being in the honors program.”

“It’s so strange to work an adult job and work 9-to-5 every day,” Tepe says, “but it’s been nice because I’ve gotten to see the startup side of it. I’ve gotten to see what it’s like buying all the equipment and planning the experiments, and I’ll be able to see them carried out and analyze the data. It’s really nice to see the entire process.”

Tepe says she doesn’t yet have a specific dream job in mind, but she knows she wants to work in the medical field and is using her current job to explore different areas of research.

 The honor student is considering graduate school for public health or neuroscience and has even dipped her toes in the field of forensics.

“It’s okay to not be stuck in the typical path you think you need to be in after high school,” Tepe says. “You don’t need to go to the same college for four years. You can graduate early, you can graduate late, you can switch schools, you can change your mind and change it again.

“I had to tell myself not to put myself in a box because that really held me back.”

Coming to these revelations allowed Tepe to thrive in Cincinnati. The transfer student became good friends with her roommates and reached out to other students in her program. Although medical science may be viewed as a typically male-dominated field, Tepe encourages other women to pursue the path.

“I think it’s really important to realize that so many principal investigators and researchers are women now,” Tepe says. “If you have an interest, speak up about it. If you want to learn something, speak up about it. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries.”

Featured image at top: Erin Tepe poses for a photo in front of the Cincinnati skyline. All photos provided.