Kira Pawletko
Biological Sciences, Cognitive Science, Psychology and Robert S. Harrison College Scholar
Syracuse, N.Y.
Why did you choose Cornell?
I chose Cornell and the College of Arts & Sciences because I wanted to become part of an academic community that encouraged scientific inquiry and interdisciplinary study alongside personal growth.
When I applied, I had known for a long time that I loved to learn, so I wanted to enrich myself in a community where I could explore my interests and have the opportunity to learn from experts in the field. Originally, I applied with the intention of majoring in Spanish and linguistics, but I had lingering interests in science and other social sciences that I wanted to explore before deciding on a career.
Looking back, I am very grateful that I chose the College of Arts & Sciences for my undergraduate education – the College’s prioritization of an arts and sciences education and flexibility with remaining undeclared during my freshman and sophomore years allowed me to completely pivot into both traditional and interdisciplinary majors once I found my interests in cognitive and affective neuroscience.
What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?
Outside of my coursework, I aim to make a real difference in impacted communities that I care about through research and advocacy. In my research, I examine how early life circumstances, including poverty, child abuse and neglect, and levels of familial and neighborhood support, impact neural and psychological development.
Through my work, I aim to uncover the pathways by which early adverse experiences increase risk for poor physical and mental health, with the goal of eventually providing scientific evidence to support social policy changes, community interventions and psychological treatments to help support impacted children as they navigate challenging circumstances and to reduce their suffering.
Research notoriously takes time to make an impact, so in the meantime, I do my best to advocate for change at the community level. Since my sophomore year, I have worked both with local afterschool programs to teach neuroscience and STEM lessons to K-8 youth and have developed student-level support initiatives through my internships with local domestic violence advocacy groups.
What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?
I am proudest of growing into the person I hoped to become as a freshman.
At the start of my Cornell experience, I knew that I wanted to help others, but wasn’t sure what major or career path I wanted to pursue. I had myriad interests across the humanities, social sciences and biological sciences, but I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a career that balanced my passions for scientific inquiry and supporting my community. To my surprise, as an Arts & Sciences student I was routinely encouraged to not limit myself to one area of study.
Over my years at Cornell, my advisors, professors and mentors have pushed me to pursue my interdisciplinary interests, which has opened doors to opportunities I never thought possible – I blended the biological sciences, cognitive science, psychology and the College Scholar major to craft my own in-depth program of study investigating the psychobiological impact of early adversity exposure. I also joined research labs where I gained graduate-level neuroimaging and statistics training, traveled to multiple international conferences and most importantly, earned grants to fund projects giving back to the Ithaca community through neuroscience education and sexual violence survivor support programs.
Looking back, I am confident that I would not have been able to pursue my diverse interests without the incredible support and opportunities available to me as a student within the College of Arts & Sciences.
How have your beliefs or perspectives changed since you first arrived at Cornell?
The most important thing I’ve learned at Cornell is to take a chance on yourself.
Being a Cornell undergraduate is paradoxical – we have access to many of the world’s greatest resources, but a very small amount of time to take advantage of them. I reached this realization at the start of my sophomore year, when I found my research interest while balancing my coursework, research and time with friends. At the time, I was very interested in applying to the Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program, but I realized that there was an immense breadth and depth of literature I would need to read to develop the foundational understanding of early adversity, neuroscience and psychological development sufficient to explore this interdisciplinary question.
However, instead of turning away, I decided to take a leap of faith and put confidence in myself, trusting that my motivation to learn would help me establish this foundation of knowledge. Looking back, I am so glad I took that leap, and the many, many others that got me to where I am now.
By taking the chance and applying to the College Scholar Program, the Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholars Program and a number of other internships, conferences and grants, I am much further down my path than I ever imagined reaching by the end of my senior year of college.
Even if you doubt your ability to succeed, I have found that it is always worth taking the shot. You never know how far you will go.
Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 2026.
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