Alyssa Payne

Spanish and Neuroscience

Alyssa embarked on her undergraduate journey with the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College after graduating from Atlantic High School. She was captivated by the small class sizes, the unique research opportunities offered by Max Plank and Scripps, and, above all, the kind and welcoming atmosphere on campus. “I was awestruck by the sense of community here,” she says, “my professors genuinely care about my ambitions and have provided me with so many opportunities to contribute toward fulfilling my goals.” Alyssa is pursuing a double concentration in Spanish and Neuroscience. She was able to combine her interests and her passion for helping others by interning for the social work and psychiatry departments with the Caridad Center, the largest nonprofit clinic in South Florida. Since arriving at the Honors College, Alyssa has presented her research at multiple conferences, including the Florida Collegiate Honors Council Conference, Rollins Latin American Studies Symposium, and FAU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Summer Showcase. Additionally, Alyssa was able to publish her research in the FAU Undergraduate Research Journal and was awarded the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. She continued her research while studying in Madrid, Spain with fellow Honors College students. As Alyssa states “Working so closely with my professor on research while being in the same country and sites I had been researching was an unforgettable experience. I am so grateful for all of the amazing opportunities I have had thus far. There truly is no place like the Wilkes Honors College.”