Ndella Jagne
Major: Biology
Graduation Date: May 4, 2024
As Ndella Jagne prepared to graduate on May 4, she reflected on her time as a student at Penn State Brandywine and the unique experiences she had.
“I chose to come to Penn State Brandywine because it’s not too far from home; I only live about an hour away from campus,” Jagne said. “I’m from Delaware, so I’m an out-of-state student, but I was able to pay in-state tuition for Penn State because I received the Discover Award, which was really helpful.”
During her time at Brandywine, Jagne was an intern at the campus garden and an orientation leader. She also conducted organic chemistry research with Anna Sigmon, assistant professor of chemistry.
“For my research, I’m working with 7-hydroxyflavone, which is an organic compound with a lot of beneficial properties to it. We’re trying to restructure the molecule so it can react the way we want it to, in simple terms,” she said. “My experience in the lab helped me solidify what I want to do in the future and is preparing me for the professional world, which is what I’m excited for.”
Jagne also noted that her greatest accomplishment during her time at Brandywine was getting the opportunity to conduct research with Sigmon during the academic year. The research focused on creating derivatives from 7-OH flavanones in order to decrease the nucleophilicity of aromatic rings.
“Getting the opportunity to do research was definitely my greatest accomplishment. I was able to present my work at the Student Engagement Expo with my lab partner, Natasha Agape. It was a great experience that I was really excited about,” she said.
“We just sent some of our samples and research up to University Park so they can perform a medical scan to see what we created. Then, we’ll get some feedback and work from there. I’m really excited and proud of how far the research has come," she said.
When thinking about her favorite memory during her time at Brandywine, Jagne recalled her time as an orientation leader.
“Being an orientation leader during 2022 New Student Orientation was definitely my favorite memory. The group of orientation leaders that year was so amazing,” she said. “We worked together really well, and the whole experience was really fun. It was like a fun and wholesome bonding experience for us.”
Jagne said one of the most valuable lessons she learned during her time at Brandywine is to take advantage of the opportunities the campus has to offer.
“When I became a commuter in my second year, I was focused on coming to school, going to class and going home to get work done. I felt like when I did that, I got so stressed and couldn’t get my head around anything,” she said. “But then, I would go to campus activities and be more involved, and it helped me become less stressed and balance everything out.”
Being involved helps the time go by so much faster, and it gives you the important balance of work and social life.—Ndella Jagne , class of 2024, Penn State
When advising future Brandywine students, Jagne said to be as involved as you can on campus.
“Being involved helps the time go by so much faster, and it gives you the important balance of work and social life,” she said.
Jagne also expressed the importance of forming connections with professors.
“In the long run, professors are going to be the ones who help you out the most, whether it’s writing letters of recommendation or providing resources to get a job or internship,” she said. “Be sure to go to their help sessions or office hours. It’ll allow you to form good relationships with them.”
