Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology (genetics and biotechnology) with university honors and with highest distinction from the University of Iowa, 2025.

In college, Jenna worked as an undergraduate teaching intern and assisted in the instruction of introductory-level biology lab courses for three semesters. She also spent one summer designing and teaching genetics workshops to elementary students.

She volunteered as a chapter director and outreach coordinator for Kesem, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children through and beyond a parent’s cancer diagnosis. Jenna was able to advocate for an underserved population of children across the state of Iowa, giving back to an organization that had a strong, personal impact on her family.

Jenna also worked as a dental research assistant for the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. In this role, she helped with two different oral health studies, focused on improving the oral health practices of patients in palliative care or with dementia/Huntington’s disease. This experience solidified her interest in working with patients and their families and continued her passion for research. She currently works at Children’s Mercy Hospital as a genetic counselor assistant, helping with both research and clinical tasks in the genetics clinic.

In her free time, Jenna enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia.

Education: Bachelor's degree n genetics and a minor in American Sign Language from the University of Georgia, 2025.

While attending the University of Georgia, Sidney was a genetic counseling intern at Piedmont Atlanta for their cancer genetics program and High Risk Breast Clinic in the summer of 2024. She used her skills to work closely with a team of genetic counselors, ultimately gaining exposure to the field and reinforcing her aspiration of becoming a genetic counselor.

Some of Sidney’s accomplishments include serving as a teaching assistant for various American Sign Language courses and holding the role of president of ASL Dawgs her senior year. The club was dedicated to outreach and support for the local Deaf community and students interested in learning American Sign Language. She was a sustainability coordinator for the University of Georgia’s sustainability office for three years, where she worked on numerous projects to educate other students and work toward environmental improvement. She was also a genetics mentor to two undergraduate students who plan to pursue a career in genetic counseling.

She is extremely grateful for the experiences and relationships that have led her to the field of genetic counseling. Her personal experiences and her involvement with different communities in college solidified her passion for genetics and advocacy for minority patient populations. In her free time, Sidney enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Her hobbies include reading new books, trying different restaurants, and being active. She loves the outdoors, and you can usually find her on a walk or taking a spin class.

Hometown: Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biological sciences, bachelor's degree in studio arts and a minor in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023.

Emily’s interest in genetics initially developed from growing up with a sibling with a chromosome difference. As a teenager and throughout college she volunteered as a summer camp counselor for kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities and as a crisis counselor with Crisis Text Line. She also worked as a certified nursing assistant, supporting residents experiencing dementia and in hospice care. During college, she served as the chapter president of Best Buddies at the University of Pittsburgh where she coordinated social events for students and community members to promote inclusion. These experiences further developed and motivated her passions for advocacy and supporting others facing hardships or with unique lived experiences.

After completing her undergraduate education, Emily worked for two years as an adult genetic counselor assistant in molecular and medical genetics at Oregon Health and Science University, where she supported a team of genetic counselors and geneticists in general adult genetics, neuro genetics and neuro-oncology genetics clinics. In this role, she triaged patient referrals, collected family history information, coordinated genetic testing with laboratories and created clinical summaries of patient charts prior to their visits. She also volunteered with the Special Olympics as an assistant volleyball coach for adults with disabilities.

Emily is extremely grateful for all that she has learned prior to pursuing her graduate school training in genetic counseling, and is motivated to utilize the knowledge and skills she has obtained to provide empathetic and personalized patient care.

Hometown: Dacula, Georgia.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with honors and minors in psychology and health and human services from Wake Forest University in 2024.

Murren’s interest in genetics started with Punnett squares in middle school. As she explored the career and genetic medicine overall, she developed passions for bioethics, health equity and mental health care. In undergraduate, she completed a biology honors thesis titled “Exploration of the differing genetic routes for the diagnoses and treatments of Prader-Willi Syndrome, Myotonic Dystrophy and Alström Syndrome under the 21st Century Cures Act.” She also worked as a resident advisor and held extracurricular roles including bioethics president and archery club president. Murren adores music and served as principal chair of the second violin section in the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra and as a volunteer violin instructor for Musical Empowerment, providing free lessons and instruments for underserved children.

Murren completed a gap year in Iowa where she worked as a certified brain injury specialist and as a patient experience specialist at a family medicine and pediatrics clinic. In her free time, Murren volunteered as a Road to Recovery driver for the American Cancer Society, providing community members with free transportation to cancer treatment. She engaged with the genetic counseling community by shadowing genetic counselors throughout Iowa and participating in University of Iowa’s mentorship program for prospective genetic counseling graduate students and Topics in Genetic Counseling webinar series.

During her free time, she loves studying film, playing ukulele and violin, weight lifting, thrifting clothes and baking. Murren is beyond excited for her future genetic counseling career and plans to continue to pursue opportunities to expand health equity and the ways genetic medicine can save lives.

Hometown: Raytown, Missouri.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with minors in medical Spanish and psychology from Rockhurst University, 2025.

Edwin was born in El Paso, Texas, but has lived in the KC Metro since he was three years old. Because he has lived on both the Kansas and Missouri sides, he understands how diverse and unique our city is! He has been a fan of STEM activities since grade school and has always had a deep interest in genetics and psychology.

Throughout high school, those interests fueled his career exploration. His freshman biology teacher at Rockhurst University introduced him to the wonderful field of genetic counseling – a career that is still growing– and allows him to pursue both genetics and psychology together. As many people have never heard of genetic counseling, he wants to grow the position in his local community to educate others about the benefits of genetic counseling.

Edwin’s experiences as an undergraduate were mainly focused on working or volunteering. One of his favorite experiences volunteering is with TEAMSoccer, an organization for children with special needs. He enjoyed coaching and ensuring all players felt welcome. Edwin has been employed as a staffing recruiter for the last 18 months, which has allowed him to understand cultural gaps and strengthen his Spanish language skills. He is currently employed as a laboratory genetic counseling student at Children’s Mercy Hospital. His role involves helping with case preparation for patients undergoing genetic testing.

Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2022.

Research Project: "Diagnostic Yield and Insurance Alignment in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy"

During college, Sophie held roles as a teaching assistant for biology labs and represented life and health sciences as an orientation assistant. She also volunteered her time as a STEP force volunteer at Mayo Clinic and an on-call advocate with a local sexual assault and domestic violence support center.

After graduation, she worked as a cancer genetic counseling assistant with Allina Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She worked closely with 12 genetic counselors to prepare for and follow up on patient visits. Additionally in this role she was heavily involved with a specialty clinic called “treatment clinic” that delivers quick and proficient genetics care to patients with metastatic disease, expanding her role by offering continuous, thorough emotional and clinical support from referral to result. During this time, she also participated in research at the University of Minnesota. The project is aimed at reviewing the presentations of all specialists at NSGC over a 10-year period to collect variables for analysis of trends in genetic counseling publications and is still ongoing.

Sophie is grateful for her experiences before genetic counseling training, which affirmed her passion for the genetic counseling community and career, as she observed that genetic counselors have a unique ability to advocate for their patients.

Hometown: Winchester, Oklahoma.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with minors in biochemistry and psychology (Summa Cum Laude) from Oral Roberts University, 2022.

Research Project: "Utility of Genetic Test Results: Perceptions of Families, Clinicians, and Lab Directors"

Mary Claire discovered genetic counseling at a young age when a close relative was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. In college, she served as a lab and teaching assistant for upper-division biology courses. As part of the Ranahan Cancer Research Lab, she was involved in research investigating the cytotoxic effects of an over-the-counter dietary supplement on triple-negative breast cancer cells.

While at Oral Roberts University, she also served in the missions and outreach office as a community outreach leader and travel and documents assistant. She volunteered as a camp counselor at Make Promises Happen, a camp dedicated to providing outdoor experiences to individuals with any manner of disability.

After college, Mary Claire worked in Tulsa as a patient service representative at the Saint Francis Genetics Clinic. In this role, she managed tasks such as screening phone calls, processing referrals, helping with patient registration, securing insurance authorizations and gathering important medical records. Working with a diverse and medically underserved patient population exposed her to a wide range of medical specialties. This experience gave her a well-rounded understanding of the field and deepened her commitment to becoming a genetic counselor who will advocate for all patients.

Hometown: Shawnee, Kansas.

Education: Bachelor's degree in cellular and molecular biology with minors in psychology and chemistry from Pittsburg State University, 2022.

Research Project: "Enhancing Equitable Care in Genetic Counseling: Perspectives on Disability"

While in her senior year of undergradate study, Lucy held a teaching assistant position for the genetics lab course at Pittsburg State University. She was a member of Tri Sigma Sorority, National Society of Leadership and Success, and Advancement Ambassadors. She held a philanthropy chair position for Mosaic, a non-profit organization which allowed her to stand alongside Pittsburg's community of individuals with intellectual disabilities and assist with social and fundraising events. 

In her time between undergraduate and master's courses she has had multiple work and volunteer experiences that have furthered her passion and drive for genetic counseling. Lucy worked as a medical assistant and educational director for a private practice that specializes in geriatrics as well as volunteered for Ascend Hospice and a Kansas City domestic violence shelter. She continues her efforts supporting the intellectual disability community locally by working for The Mission Project and providing nutrition education to adults with disabilities. She now also works as genetic counseling and research assistant in the the genetics department at Children's Mercy Hospital.

Her passion for genetic counseling arose from her love for health care and her want to help patients and families get through difficult diagnoses due to her own personal experience.

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri.

Education: Bachelor's degree in geography, minor in urban studies and GIS certification from University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2018, and a bachelor's degree in biology from Avila University, 2024.

Research Project: "Cycles of Inflammation: Investigating Recurrent Fevers in Vici Syndrome"

Originally from Conway, Arkansas, Taj moved to Kansas City, Missouri, at age six. During her time at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, she conducted research focused on zebra mussel infestations at Wyandotte County Lake. She presented her findings at the SEARCH Symposium in Kansas City, engaging in discussions about the implications of her research. Using her bachelor's degree in geography, Taj began a career in engineering and technical leadership, honing her analytical and project management skills.

In May 2024, Taj completed a bachelor's degree in biology from Avila University, where she was vice president of the TriBeta Biology Honor Society and a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Professions Honor Society. At Avila, Taj conducted research on bee diversity at Jerry Smith Park, examining and sexing over 200 bees and comparing their abundance between reconstructed and remnant prairies. Her work was cross-examined during presentations to peers and faculty. She also conducted a project analyzing saliva cortisol levels to assess stress among students, requiring an institutional review board application due to its involvement with human subjects.

Taj was accepted as a 2025-2026 trainee for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment and Related Disabilities program at KU Medical Center.