Kim Gordy
Senior / Biology Major / Millville, MD
It all relates to two things—taking risks and trying new things. You never know what you’re capable of until you push yourself beyond your limits. That’s something I learned from athletics. My whole life has been about not being afraid to try new things.
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"Basketball was the reason I came here—and the great biology program," says Kimberley Gordy. "My idea then was to be a premed student. I was excited to be at Goucher because their premed students’ acceptance rates into medical school are sky high. And I was excited to learn in a different atmosphere, with a new focus."
Since coming to Goucher, Gordy has become adept at balancing her academic pursuits with her athletic interests, finding time to complete an internship at Johns Hopkins University, spend a semester abroad studying in Denmark, and discover a passion for slam poetry—all while playing forward for Goucher’s women’s basketball team.
"I’ve known for a long time that I wouldn’t be as happy if I couldn’t play basketball, so I just made it work," says Gordy. "The camaraderie with my teammates—we physically work hard. We create memories together because we go through those experiences together. Working toward a common goal and making it happen is a reward in itself."
Partially because of her involvement in athletics, Gordy’s academic focus has shifted from medicine to physiological research.
"Animal physiology was the class I enjoyed the most," she says. "That triggered my interest in the cardiovascular system, which also connects to my athletic pursuits."
Her internship at Johns Hopkins, which has morphed into a job, gave her hands-on experience researching pulmonary hypertension, a disease marked by sudden increases in blood pressure. She works with specially bred mice that exhibit the disease, examining cells in their lungs and isolating their DNA.
"The research we did in our courses was beneficial, but I didn’t realize we were doing the exact same things that scientists do in a real lab until I actually got into a real lab," says Gordy. "Goucher prepares its students in the sciences for the experience of working in real labs. Seeing the results, and being able to apply the things I’d learned, was really cool."
Gordy’s interest in lab work continued to grow during her study-abroad semester in Copenhagen with the Denmark International Study Program. She ended up choosing Denmark for a personal reason—her aunt and cousins have lived there for more than 30 years.
"From the time I was 12, when I realized what it really means to have family on the other side of the world, I wanted to go there," recalls Gordy. "I had the time of my life. I was infatuated. I think anyone would be when they go somewhere as beautiful as Copenhagen. I didn’t think I wanted to come back."
While in Europe, she spent time in Poland, France, and Germany. She also traveled across Denmark on an academic study tour, where she was exposed to European medical and research practices.
"It was crazy—they do pain research in Denmark on human subjects," says Gordy. "We also got to go to a medical care provider that provides supplies for diabetes patients all over the world. The whole thing increased my awareness. Now, I’m really interested in what’s going on—in Europe, in other places around the world."
Though Gordy knew she was interested in science from the start of her academic career, she also has a deep love for poetry. At Goucher, she participated in a poetry slam contest—and won. The experience inspired her to take her writing more seriously.
"From that time on, poetry became really important for me," says Gordy. "I did a lot more writing than I ever have. Performing is an adrenaline rush. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be able to translate the messages from my life and my experience." Gordy lent her poetic talents to "Blurring the Line: An Exploration of Peace and Art," an interdisciplinary performance staged by fellow students Michelle Lynch ’05 and Lindsay Johnson ’05. The show combined dance, music, and visual arts with Gordy’s poetry.
"After the performance, someone sent us an e-mail saying that they never realized how much art could open someone’s level of awareness to new things, and they learned that from seeing our performance," says Gordy. "To know that you’ve changed someone’s perspective is pretty huge."