Student Feature: Abby MacMillan

Abby MacMillan is a 3rd year Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry major from Ottawa, ON. When it comes to getting involved on campus, Abby is a peer helper with the Experiential Learning Hub, where she help students with their resumes and cover letters, as well as interview prep. She also volunteers in the Chemistry Department and with Dr. Kate Stuttaford for events, preview days, and other lab related tasks.

Since her first year, Abby has stepped out of her comfort zone, gaining viable confidence in the lab and on campus. She’s put in the hours, asked more questions, and feels much more self-assured in her classes.

When asked about her “AHA” moment, Abby recalled her CHEM 2400 course. “That course taught me a lot about working in a lab and the value of taking your time to be accurate. By the end of that course, I felt I had learned so much and had gained lots of confidence in a lab environment. I have been able to apply the skills to lots of my other courses. A professor that blew me away is William Tam. He was a standout prof that I had because of how much he cares about his students and his devotion to helping students succeed”.

Abby’s favorite things to do on campus include studying in the Summerlee Science Complex with her friends or taking a stroll through the Arboretum. She says that her three favorite things about the University of Guelph consist of:

1. The people,

2. The campus, and

3. The food

Thus far, Abby has completed one co-op work term. She was fortunate enough to work in the Chemistry Department on campus, where she helped with the first-year labs. This was an enjoyable experience for her as she got to learn a lot about the “behind the scenes”. Abby also highlighted how it was significant to her that she got to meet a lot of faculty and staff and create connections with them.

Some words of advice for future students about U of G and about Chemistry:

“I would tell future students that U of G is a great school with a wonderful community of people who are there to support you and help you succeed. It is also a school with lots of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved with events on campus, meeting different profs and try new things. The University of Guelph is a super welcoming environment that wants you to do well and enjoy your time here. 

Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry is a great field that gives you the opportunity to really focus on what you enjoy most. You can kind of personalise your degree to your interests, for example, if you really enjoy microbiology, then you can take restricted electives in this area. This program includes lots of lab work as well and hands on learning opportunities which I really value”.

Five years from now, Abby hopes to be in pharmacy school, working towards her a PharmD. Ideally this would take place in BC, Toronto, or Halifax. She would love to eventually pursue a career as a pharmacist in a hospital.