Austin Dean

(he/him/his)

Graduation Year – May 2028

Hometown – Powhatan, VA

Do you speak any languages other than English? If so, which one(s)? – I wish! I took Spanish throughout high school and I plan to study Chinese while at CNU!

What is your major? If undecided, what field(s) are you considering? – Cellular, Molecular, and Physiological Biology or Biochemistry

What are your career and educational goals? – Currently, I’d like to get a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Engineering and become a Pharmaceutical Researcher, but I may venture to some other sector within the medical environment.

What are you most looking forward to about coming to CNU? – (so cliche, I know) Meeting the people! I think bringing together a diverse group of people from many, many different backgrounds makes for a very engaging and exciting environment, and I’m ecstatic to be in it!

Please list the top three service areas or populations you are interested in working with as a Bonner. – Health Related, Hunger & Housing, and Support Services.

What are you most looking forward to about being a Bonner? – Building connections with the other Bonners and the community through service and empathy.

What past service experience has impacted you the most? – I believe the most impactful realization I have gained through service was through wood chopping for the Knights of Columbus organization. This is an experience I gained through Boy Scouts, where we gathered for many hours on a Saturday and chopped wood for those in need. How does this help those in need, you ask? Well, a lot of less fortunate people in my hometown community are still confined to heat through wood stoves in the winter, and many of these people are also physically and/or financially unable to access wood to aid them.

What are your hobbies and/or interests outside of academics and Bonner? –I love walking/hiking in new places and exploring the unknown. I love both natural trails and exploring urban jungles like Richmond and Washington D.C. I love my two cats, Phoebe and Annabelle, and I probably spend too much time with them.

List your favorite book, movie, musician/band, food, and/or quote. – Book: (Respectively) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success; Movie: Maze Runner & Hunger Games series; Musician: TAYLOR SWIFT; Food: Pineapple Pizza(and I’ll die on this hill); Quote: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a fun fact you want to share about yourself? – I’m most productive between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.!