Growing up in Richmond, Vt., Michael Lawler ‘17 always had UVM in the back of his mind as a future destination, but like many local students he had some reservations about attending school so close to home. That reticence vanished after a campus visit on Admitted Students' Day. “I was accepted to the Honors College, and that program was really appealing to me academically. But it was the tour that really changed my mind. The campus was beautiful, and seeing how much the tour guide loved UVM was really inspiring.” Interested in the intersection between neuroanatomy and behavior, he studied how the brain responds differently during habit-based behaviors versus goal-directed behaviors, a subject that served as the basis for his Honors Thesis. After graduation, Lawler began working at UVM Medical Center as a phlebotomist and as a scribe in the Emergency Department through ScribeAmerica. “Both jobs offer really cool, different things. Phlebotomy is giving me valuable skills and patient care experience, and I'm just seeing and learning so much in the emergency department." Lawler thinks his UVM education was critical in shaping his career goals—he plans on applying to medical school in 2018. “It wasn't until November of my senior year that I decided to apply. The exposure to the medical field through affiliation with UVM Medical Center, and from my classes and professors, gave me the confidence to pursue something as daunting as med school.”