Mikilyn DAngelo
Twenty-year-old Mikilyn D’Angelo is from Riverhead, NY, a town on Long Island near both Splish Splash and Tanger Outlet. Although she is only in her third year at Pace as a Biology major, she is actually a senior. Enrolled in a 3/4 program at SUNY State College of Optometry, located in Manhattan, she has the opportunity to complete her undergraduate work at Pace within three years, and then go on to graduate school for four years to achieve a Doctor of Optometry degree.
At Pace, Mikilyn serves as Treasurer for the UNICEF C.H.I.L.D. Project where she works to raise both awareness and money for the issues that affect children around the world. Mikilyn recently worked towards finding a speaker from “Austism Speaks” for a presentation that will take place at Pace on April 1st. She says, “Although UNICEF does not support ‘Autism Speaks,’ per se, I am passionate about the topic and think people should have a better understanding about the disease, its effects, and that there is help available.” She also serves as Vice President for TriBeta, the Biology honor society. She describes TriBeta as an organization “in which we try to get involved in the community and also bring speakers on campus to talk about their research and advancements in the science world.”
Mikilyn says, “I think that my biggest accomplishment thus far has been my ability to balance school and work. Both require a lot of time and effort, but the satisfaction of knowing I am doing something that will help me achieve my goals and at the same time helping people, drives me to do everything that I do.” She currently works in Tarrytown, NY, as a vision therapist for both children and adults suffering from learning disabilities, developmental delays, and Autism.
She hopes to one day work as a Behavioral Optometrist, where she would look at how a person’s visual system plays a role in their overall functioning. In the future, she envisions herself having her own practice as well as a family.
Although Mikilyn laughs at the idea of giving her fellow Honors students advice, she says, “I guess my advice is to buy a lot of flashcards. I personally support the flashcard industry! Seriously though, I think the most important thing about college is to learn your strengths both academically and personally. It is often easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of school, clubs, jobs, etc. and it’s easy to lose sight of having fun. If you are able to figure out what your strengths are, you’ll be able to find a balance between the two and actually enjoy this experience they call ‘college.’”
