Gloria Parrales ’24
Smithie Snapshots
Describe your major for someone who has never heard of your field before.
I consider chemistry to be just as much an art as it is a science. At its core, chemistry is about creation—rearranging electrons to make and cleave chemical bonds for the formation of elegant structures with different shapes and properties, and understanding the underlying mechanisms of how molecules behave. There is never one right way to make a molecule, which means that there are endless possibilities when it comes to the discovery of new ways of making a certain bond, functional group, or complex natural product. There is still so much to be explored and discovered. Chemistry has no boundaries, and will never stop being exciting!
What cherished Smith memory has shaped your career path?
When I was taking Organic Chemistry II, I made some of my best friends at tutoring drop-in hours, working on challenging problem sets and “Real Chem”—problems taken straight from the literature. These questions were really challenging, but it was so exciting when putting our heads together led us to correctly solve and fully understand chemistry that was actively being researched. I learned how much I loved thinking through the mechanisms of reactions and trying to design complicated syntheses of my own, and had a lot of fun doing it. I declared my major in chemistry that Fall as a result!
What’s your all-time favorite Smith memory?
Every spring semester, the chemistry department holds the ”Freeze-Off” ice cream competition, where 10 teams make an ice cream base, and then use liquid nitrogen to freeze the base into real ice cream. The judges vote on best flavor and most creative, while the students and department decides on the most popular. This year, I made chocolate cherry “Black Forest Cake” inspired ice cream with my team (“The Freeze Radicals”). We named our flavor “Cherry Choc-kovsky” after the Corey-Chaykovsky epoxidation reaction that we learned while taking Organic Chemistry I. We won best flavor!
[With chemistry] I was constantly left with questions and found myself always wanting to learn more and understand at a deeper level.
Did you ever have trouble deciding on a major? What, ultimately, helped you decide?
I started my first year at Smith knowing I wanted to major a science, but wasn’t sure at all about what I specifically wanted to study. I chose chemistry because after attending lectures and working through problem sets, I was constantly left with questions and found myself always wanting to learn more and understand at a deeper level. (I even noticed that I would procrastinate on my other homework by doing my chemistry homework). I was further compelled to choose chemistry because of the support and community I found in the Chemistry Department. The professors I interacted with and other majors I met were always so supportive and encouraging; they inspired me to pursue my interests in chemistry by declaring my major.
What’s your “Big Dream” for your future?
To have my own research lab and teach chemistry as a professor!
If you could tell an incoming first-year anything about Smith, what would it be?
Take advantage of Smith’s resources! There are so many people who want to help you thrive at Smith. Whether you need writing, academic, career, health/wellness, or community support, the support systems at Smith are here for you. Also- it’s completely okay to come to Smith feeling like you don’t have a plan for your major or know exactly what your interests are. That’s why you’re here! Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to reach out and explore.
What do you think has been the most “Smithie” thing you’ve done in life so far?
I studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh the fall of my junior year and still made sure to celebrate Mountain Day! I hiked Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park with a bunch of my new friends.
