Introduction to Ashley!
My name is Ashley Maggia, which is different from what my class name shows as I have recently gotten married! Since my husband is graduating this spring, we will soon be moving to Madison, WI, which is why the main picture on my blog is the Wisconsin capitol building. Once there, I hope to successfully apply to the University of Wisconsin Medical School for Fall 2022 where I plan to become a doctor and specialize in Cardiology. During my time in college, I have - and still currently - shadow a cardiologist, which is why becoming a cardiologist has become my dream job. I also volunteer at OU Children's, which is a very heartening experience that has taught me multiple things about the importance of healthcare as well as the persona one should have with a patient.
This semester I am also conducting research in the biology department. I am currently trying to determine the function of a gene in the female brains of Drosophila, which are a species of small fruit flies. This requires me to spend quite a bit of time in the lab, as dissecting brains is a slow process and trying to prepare the brains for imaging is a long, four day procedure.
During my free time, I spend a lot of time walking, jogging, and playing ball with Sophie, my dog. Sophie does not know this yet, but she will be gaining a sister puppy in May! We have decided to name her Luna. When Sophie is not playing with a ball or a squeaky toy, she is most definitely cuddling right up next to me or my husband. Sophie is a "floofball," as my husband and I like to call her, and has very VERY curly hair.
Pictures of Sophie: Taken By Me
Sophie is also surprisingly photogenic and LOVES smiling, especially if she has a treat or ball waiting for her behind the camera.
Congratulations on getting married, Ashley! And you are right: the OU name record has not caught up to your new name yet. And what a fantastic part of the world to be moving to! We used to live in Eugene, Oregon when I was little, and getting to visit Seattle was always such a fun adventure. It's so beautiful there! And your Sophie is such a cutie; thank you for sharing those totally adorable pictures. She really does look like she knows she is posing for the camera! About fruit flies, female or male, I know nothing... but I am totally with you on Italian pizza; I lived in Italy for a while and got addicted to real pizza (my favorite topping: fiori di zucca!) ... and my husband is tired of me telling him whenever we eat pizza that this is not what pizza is like in Italy, ha ha. And here's an Indian food recommendation: if you ever get a chance, eat some uttapam. It is sooooooo good! It's south Indian, so you don't find it in a lot of restaurants, but if you ever end up in a south Indian restaurant, give the uthappam a try. It's making me hungry just thinking about it. YUM! utthapam pictures :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! I loved Seattle, WA! I visited the area about a year ago (pre-COVID) and it was beautiful. I actually had the opportunity to visit the University of Washington Medical School then and I just have to say, the campus is magical. It sort of has a hogwarts vibe when I was there. I am excited for you, and jealous! Hopefully, Sophie will love her new sister! Although, I am pretty sure she'll be ecstatic to have another furrball to cuddle with.
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! I had no idea that you had gotten married, congratulations!! It feels like forever since I've last seen you, we should try and meet up before you move to Seattle. I loved reading about your passion for cardiology, you're going to make a great doctor someday! I've always wanted to go to Italy, so it was fun to read about your experiences and see the lovely pictures you took. Where did you go when you went to Italy? Was it a general tour of the country or did you get to soak up the culture of one specific region? I bet wherever you went, it was a once in a lifetime experience!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congratulations on getting married! You must be excited moving! It is amazing that you want to specialize in cardiology and become a doctor. Your Luna is absolutely gorgeous. I just recently got a dog, prior to COVID-19 of course. He is a Yorkie named Milo. I love the outdoors and travelling as well. I have always wanted to go see Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. Those lemons and pizza look amazing. If I ever go there, I will definitely try them.
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the wedding! What an awesome plan, Seattle is so amazing and would be a great place to go to medical school! I want to just say that I got so distracted by the pictures of your dog! Sophie is so cute! I hope her sister is as adorable as she is! I am not a big outdoorsy person, but hiking to Pompeii seems so amazing, I have been to Italy before, but I always wished I got to go see Pompeii, it is definitely bucket list material!
Hi Ashley! Congratulations on getting married!! I personally haven't visited Seattle before but have always wanted to go! Wishing you the best on applying to medical school! I am a currently a junior studying biochemistry with the goal of applying to medical school as well, so I definitely know how stressful it can all be! I think it's amazing how you shadowed a cardiologist and were inspired to become a cardiologist! Oh my goodness your dog Sophie is so cute!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! Congratulations on getting married and moving to Seattle! It seems like you are in a super exciting and eventful period of life. Seattle is one of my favorite places and has so many things to do and great hiking right outside the city. Your dog Sophie is so sweet! I recently got a goldendoodle named Luka back in the fall and just love her to death! Good luck in your path to med school, becoming a cardiologist sounds super thrilling.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! Congratulations on getting married! Wishing you lots of love and happiness!! I have never been to Seattle, but it is a place I would like to visit (thanks to Grey’s Anatomy). So, congrats on your moving too! Hope, you will be accepted to the University of Washington. Since you love adventurous activities, visiting Pompei had to be a blast for you!
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! Thanks for saying hello over at my blog! Yep, I know Braiden from drumline. Tell him I said hello, and also congratulations to both of you! Wow, I think it’s so cool that you’re going to Seattlel. I love that area of the country, and since you love hiking, you HAVE to find some time to drive east a little ways and hike around Glacier National Park in Montana. It’s absolutely gorgeous. If you go, you HAVE to go to the Polebridge Mercantile. It’s in the absolute middle of nowhere, but the thought of their huckleberry bearclaws keeps me up at night. I just know you and Braiden would love them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your stories about Italy. I also love hiking, and my favorite hike was a 13-mile trek around a loch in Scotland. I’m a huge Roman history nerd, though, so I really want to go to Pompeii in the future! I hope your semester has been going well, and good luck on getting into UW!
Hi Ashley! I hope you are doing well. I am absolutely in love with your dog! I am also extremely jealous of your trip to Pompeii. I remember learning about it in 6th grade social studies and for a period of time I was absolutely obsessed. I hope you have a good transition to Seattle! That will be so fun and a nice change of scenery I bet. Have a grate semester and I can't wait to read more from you!
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! I have never been to Seattle, but I feel like people either love it or hate it depending on how they view the near-constant rain. I think the rain might be peaceful at first, but I think it might make me sad if I did not see very much sun for months on end. Do you think you'll be able to handle the change in weather well? I have never done fruit fly research myself, but one of my roommates did a summer research internship studying them, so he had to dissect them too, and I heard all about it! Good luck with that and your post-grad plans!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! Congratulations on getting married! That is so exciting. Sounds like you have a bright future in the medical field! I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Much like you, I also enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. There is truly nothing quite like it. Lastly, I must say that Sophie is adorable. Hopefully she ends up having fun with the sister she is getting soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! Congratulations on getting married! I have also volunteered at OU Medical a few years back, and it’s a wonderful experience to say the least! I find it so interesting that you are currently researching a gene in the female brains of Drosophila – that sounds cool! Have an amazing move to Seattle Washington and wish you a great semester ahead of you!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley. It sounds like you are doing some really cool research and you are in a really cool field. I also think that it is really cool that you were able to see the ruins of Pompeii and it sounds like the hike to get to Pompeii was really fun and also very rewarding. Also good luck in med school.
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! Your life sounds so amazing. Congratulations on getting married and good luck with your move and with your schooling. Being a cardiologist is going to be such an amazing career. Also, studying brains sounds so interesting, and like a lot of hard work. I had never even heard of that gene before reading it here. Also your dog is so adorable and it is so cute she is going to have a little sister.
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! Congrats on getting married! I have never been to Wisconsin before but I imagine it is much colder there than in Oklahoma! I am also a pre-med student. I am just not as far along on my journey as you, as I won't be graduating until 2023. I hope that you enjoy your move and your new puppy! Good luck getting into medical school and becoming a cardiologist!
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting married! It's awesome to hear about how passionate your are about the medical field and becoming a cardiologist. I haven't been up to Wisconsin before but I have some close friends from the area who love it a lot. Your dog is super cute! My girlfriend and I adopted a cat last semester who we love very much. Good luck getting into Medical school and pursuing your career!
Hi Ashley, congratulations on being married! That's a big landmark in your life, many well wishes for your marriage! Sad to see that you're moving to Wisconsin instead of Seattle, but the financial reasons are understandable. I grew up in Washington, so I've been to Seattle many times to visit friends, attend conventions, or just explore the city. Good luck on getting into medical school, I hope you succeed in your career!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley!! Congratulations on your marriage! That is so exciting, and it sounds like you are about to embark on another exciting chapter of your life as well! It is so cool that you are planning to pursue cardiology--after I graduate in May I will actually be going to work for a company that makes implantable cardiac devices. I also think your research sounds interesting! I have done both research and an internship, so I cannot imagine how you have time for both and still find time to be so active. Good luck with the rest of the semester, and in your future!
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley, congratulations on getting married! I am so happy for you. Also, a career in the medical field is so cool. You have such an adorable dog! I did adopt a dog last year but had to give him away after a few months. I wish you all the best for your future. I hope you have a great rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteJust like you, I was to pursue a career in medicine, and cardiology is definitely a great specialty! congratulations on getting married and on this big move soon! Your dog is absolutely adorable and looks just like mine. I have a chocolate Labradoodle, they are just so precious. I hope you have a great and healthy rest of your semester.