Making the world his laboratory

As a student in the College Scholars Honors Program at North Central, Ian LaPat ’24 needed to fulfill a requirement: to integrate his classroom learning with a domestic or international immersion experiences. When he considered studying abroad, he hesitated.

“I was originally nervous about studying abroad being a commuter student, as I'd never lived away from home,” said LaPat, who has double majored in biology and environmental studies.
 
A great first step ended up being a May term abroad opportunity to Ecuador. “I found the May term trips to be a great introduction to being abroad. The trip itself packed full of things the whole time, so you're constantly moving and learning new things. I was thinking, ‘Wow, I need more of this.’ I just wanted to keep learning about these different places.”
 
After his trip to Ecuador, LaPat decided to take advantage of two more study abroad opportunities.
 
First, he travelled to Guatemala with North Central’s Coffee Lab, where they were looking to measure the carbon capacity of coffee farms. The trip’s faculty advisor, professor Dr. Matthew Krystal, asked LaPat to join after having him as a student in a cultural anthropology class. Krystal needed a biology student to assist with research.  

“Dr. Ruthig has said to me quite a few times that every time he goes on field experiences, he goes for the science but leaves with a deep appreciation for the people there. I definitely felt that Guatemala more than anywhere else.”
 
In the fall of his senior year, LaPat spent a full semester at La Trobe University in Australia, where he worked on methods development with the wildlife endocrinology lab for his honors thesis.  

“Studying abroad gives you a lot of new perspectives” LaPat said. “You gain skills in communication and cultural awareness from interacting with people who are different from you — which are all great experiences and skills to have in any career. Even if the project that you're working on isn’t directly related to what you want to do outside of school, the skills that you build and the experiences you have are going to be applicable to anything.”
 
In addition, LaPat has gained field experience in his home country as well. He worked as a teaching assistant on campus, a laboratory assistant, and he had a research internship at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he focused on amphibian conservation.  
 
“I am very grateful,” he said, “to go to a school where projects like these are supported and encouraged and to have professors who recognize and encourage my interests, skills and ambitions!”