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ÃÛѨÊÓƵ was high on her list, but she questioned whether it was really the right place for her. Would she be able to discover her own path at a school her grandparents, aunt and uncle had also attended? A place she had been connected to her whole life?

“My grandma sat me down and said, ‘If you come into this not giving it a chance, you will waste time and money,’” Bedford remembers of her grandmother Nancy Haack ’69. “She and my grandpa had this amazing time at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ. But she made sure I knew that my experience was going to be completely my own.”

And even before Bedford started her first year in McMinnville, she began to see how ÃÛѨÊÓƵ could help her achieve her goals.

“Seeing the cost of tuition was really daunting,” she said. “But at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ, I received several scholarships that cut tuition. It was significant.”

ÃÛѨÊÓƵ also set her on the path to graduate in three years. The school accepted the college credits she earned in high school and advisors worked with her on a pre-medicine course schedule to meet her desired timeline.

But, even in her shortened time at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ, Bedford has taken full advantage of the opportunities that ÃÛѨÊÓƵ has to offer.

“While I didn’t know much about liberal arts schools in the beginning, I am so glad that I ended up at one,” the biochemistry and microbiology major said. “Each semester, I face a new challenge, but then I come out so interested in the class topic.”

A prime example is her love for food writing, a genre she never knew existed until an inquiry seminar her first year.

“After taking that course, I fell in love with this type of writing,” Bedford said.

Perhaps most influential in her time at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ is Bedford’s ongoing research with Shanna Bowman, assistant professor of biology. They are studying melanoma skin variants and exploring why people with red hair or albinism may be more susceptible to cancer. Bedford presented her work at the Murdock College Science Research Conference held in November 2021.

“Elise is driven, curious and independent,” Bowman said. “I am confident that the skills she has gained will greatly benefit her in graduate and medical school.”

Bedford’s experience in the laboratory has also strengthened her connection with her grandfather, Bob Haack ’69. The retired high school biology teacher loves to talk science.

“He wants to know about what I am doing,” Bedford says. “As much as I love learning from him, it feels cool to have the roles flipped and to be able to discuss my research with him.”

Even Bedford’s post-graduation plans are uniquely her own. Bedford plans to take two gap years before attending medical school – the first year to earn a graduate degree in microbiology and the second to work as an EMT, gaining in-the-field medical experience.

It’s a journey that Bedford was able to uncover at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ – where the people, places and programs sparked her wonder for learning, exploring and connecting.

“I have always been super interested in people – the way that we work, how brains work and the chemistry behind it all,” she said. “Through my experience at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ, I have found something that I am good at and can see myself learning about for the rest of my life.”