While it has been six years since Alison Spratt from the Bellefonte High School’s Class of 2018 has walked these halls, her former teachers will not be surprised to hear that she is well and successful.
Ali is now at a military medical school. During her time at Bellefonte, she was involved in cheerleading, track and field, Drama Club, Marching Band, and National Honor Society. Ali was a very creative person and enjoyed the art classes the most at Bellefonte High.
“Wheel Throwing was my favorite class just because it was fun and a nice break from all my other classes,” Ali said.
Reflecting on what she misses the most, Ali realized that though while in Bellefonte she did not like living in a small town, she now misses it.
“I also miss the community of a small town. In high school, I didn’t always like how everyone knew everyone and everything. I could go to the grocery store or anywhere and bump into someone I knew. Now living in a city, where I don’t know nearly as many people I miss it.”
She also misses being so close to the people she loves most: her family and friends.
“Of course I miss my family, and also living in the same place as my best friends. We live all far away from each other now and I don’t get to see them as often as I would like to,” she said.
Ali graduated from Penn State with a major in Biological Sciences and Health Professions and a minor in Bioethics and Medical Humanities. Ali is unsure what graduate admissions she is accepting, but is leaning towards getting a Masters in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh this coming fall. She is currently working at a medical school for the military in Bethesda, Maryland.
“I am a research assistant in the Pharmacology Department specializing in immunology. My current project is helping clinicians diagnose patients with autoimmune disorders caused by novel genetic mutations. More specifically, I focus on genetic mutations in CARD11, a scaffold protein that is a vital component in the T-cell receptor signaling pathway. Additionally, I am testing a new MALT1 inhibitor, which is a medication designed to treat many different diseases and symptoms by inhibiting MALT1, another protein that is vital in the T-cell receptor signaling pathway,” Ali said.
Ali has had the opportunity to present her research at the NIH and is going to be presenting in Chicago this May.
Looking back at her time at Bellefonte High, Ali has no regrets with the classes she took, but if given the chance, would have changed her perspective on planning.
“I did everything I wanted to do during my high school years, but I wished I lived in the moment more. I was always looking forward to and planning for college and starting my career in medical science. I would get wrapped up in working hard to stay academically adept that I would forget to enjoy myself. High school went by almost as quickly as college did,” Ali said.
