Name: Laura Kurata

Hometown: Aiea, Hawaii

What are you doing after graduation?

I will be taking a year off to apply for med school (entering in Fall 2015). I still have to take the MCAT and a few more classes. Most importantly though, I’ll be moving home to Hawaii to do all of that! I’m excited to be living with my family again. After hosting some people over the summer (friends visiting) and taking the MCAT, I plan to take classes at the University of Hawaii while getting my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification and hopefully finding a job and be working all year.

Why did you choose Creighton?

I originally chose Creighton because they gave me a lot of scholarship money, but I also had heard from lots of other people in Hawaii that it was a really great school and everyone from Hawaii who attended was really happy. So I just kind of thought of it as “the happy school.” I knew it would be an adventure to be so far away from home and in a different culture and climate.

What has been your favorite memory of Creighton?

Some of my favorite memories have been my four years in Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed service fraternity. I have done hundreds of hours of service all over Omaha with that organization and have had many fun date parties, retreats and social events with them. I have also loved being president of Hawaii club (helping all the incoming Hawaii freshman get settled in and helping plan events for the club and the Luau), being an Exercise Science major (the faculty, the rest of the EXS majors and our EXS classes are awesome), getting to know and grow with people in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and learning about Jesuit faith and traditions (I’ve been privileged to meet with the Rev. Greg Carlson, S.J. and the Rev. Larry Gillick, S.J. twice a month for this past year). I could probably say more, but I’ll stop now.

What will you take with you from your Creighton experience into the future?

I will definitely carry the Jesuit values into the future with me. Creighton has provided me with so many opportunities to be a servant for and with others, and I believe that has helped me grow into a more open, empathetic and compassionate person. The people I have met here have also challenged me to strive for “the more” and have supported me along the way in all aspects of life: spiritual, mental and even physical. I would like to think that I am a more educated, thoughtful and well-rounded individual because of my Creighton experience.

What will you miss the most?

I will miss the people the most. I have made the best friends here, and in general, the students at Creighton are really just good people. I’ll probably never get to do life with so many other people my age ever again, and I will dearly miss running into friendly faces around campus, seeing people in class and late-night hangouts at people’s dorms or houses.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I can’t express or put into words how amazing the last four years have been. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s all been worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing. Being here at Creighton has made my college experience more than I could have asked or hoped for, and I am so blessed and thankful!

Arts & Sciences senior Laura Kurata is planning on entering medical school in the Fall of 2015, and in the meantime will be moving back to Hawaii.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Kurata