Nora O’Connell of Durham, Connecticut, is the 2024-2025 Bridge Year Fellow. She is majoring in psychology with a minor in chemistry, pursuing a pre-med track. Nora is a dedicated barista at The Meantime Coffee Co. and serves as a research assistant in a microbiome lab and at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Additionally, she holds the position of mental health chair for the pre-health student organization, Alpha Epsilon Delta. During the first part of her bridge year, Nora will work as an STI research associate with UNC Project Malawi, after which she hopes to spend time in the Netherlands. Fun fact, Nora loves cars!