CASEY O'NEIL

The lab is my favorite place to be, so I can usually be identified by the bright red goggle rings around my eyes. I have been passionate about the art of chemistry since I was introduced to it in high school, and I have loved to write for as long as I can remember. My plays and short stories have won several state-wide awards, but the highest honor I could ever receive is having my mother frame the title pages of my proudest work. She's been doing that since I was little, and it feels like a Nobel Prize every time.

I plan to apply to graduate school to study Chemistry, and eventually get my Ph.D. in Chemistry. My ultimate goal is to conduct research on biologically active compounds, especially anti-biotics. This is partially due to the penicillin allergy that runs in my family and also affects me, and also because antibiotic resistance is a very real global phenomenon that threatens the health of countless people. Many avenues to combat this exist, but they need avid explorers to investigate into the potentially groundbreaking properties of non-penicillin based antibiotics. Visit my "RESISTANCE" page to learn more about antibiotic resistance. 

I also support the arts as much as I can. I did a lot of theatre in high school, mostly involving writing, directing, and stage management. I also captained my school’s Forensics team for two years, and led us to first in the state both years. I still go back and help the team whenever I can, and I judge other students at invitational and league meets. Participating in theatre and public speaking competitions like Forensics changed me from timid to confidently outspoken, and I take pride in helping foster confidence in high school students through the arts as much as I can.