Interviewed by Sophie Marcum
Landon graduated from Bluffton High School in 2014. We caught up with him in between his time spent in research labs, Raising Cane’s, and textbooks.
Where are you attending school and what are you studying?
I’m at Ohio State University studying Neuroscience with a minor in Clinical Psychology and Individual Difference. I am also taking the pre-med track.
What led you to this field of study?
My interactions with neurological disorders and injuries, love of science, and desire to do service all led me to try to become a physician.
What extra-curriculars are you involved in? What are you most looking forward to doing within these organizations/activities?
Alpha Epsilon Delta is the pre-med honorary here at OSU. I am the service chair of this organization and I look forward to doing service at Ark House and a free clinic here in Columbus. I’m also doing research in two labs. One of them is a cancer research lab with Dr. Carlo Croce and the other is a child development/twin fMRI lab with Dr. Petrill where we study reading and math skills over an 18-year-period. I look forward to presenting our findings at several conferences throughout the semester.
Additionally, I’m a member of the Club Swim team where I enjoy going to swim meets at other universities in the region. I am also a member of both STEP and the Honors Collegium which teach leadership skills and life planning. Lastly, I am a Neuroscience Ambassador which gives me the opportunity to interact with prospective OSU freshmen by telling them how great it is to be in Neuroscience at OSU. I do this by sharing what I have learned about the brain during a demonstration with a real human brain which they have the opportunity to hold.
Who are your role models? Tell us about them!
Outside of my family who pushed me to be where I am today and set an example for me about the importance of education, my main role models are Greg Hartzler, Dr. Charlie Campbell, and the Mennonite Church as a whole.
Greg has been my mentor and friend for many years and he has taught me a great deal about life during our numerous nights of board game playing. He pushes me to keep with my beliefs while trying to help me excel at whatever it is that I am trying to accomplish here at school.
Dr. Campbell is my adviser for Neuroscience who hired me to be an Ambassador. He has continuously helped me to get where I want to go by helping me get into research and by offering to write recommendation letters. He’s unlike the other advisers who don’t know your name. Instead he recognizes me and we joke and are more like colleagues than anything. When I am doing something that is not in my best interest he is not afraid to yell at me and gives advice on how to become the physician I want to be.
The Mennonite Church is where I got all of my values from. My desire to do service, love everyone, and to sing came from growing up at First Mennonite Church. I find myself missing the Mennonite community while I am here at school, but I never forget the lessons it taught me and how it shaped me to be who I am and how it influenced me to do what I am doing, which is to help people in any way that I can.
Where is the best place to eat in Columbus? What’s your go-to order?
If you are on a budget, Raising Cane's. I order the Box combo, and replace the coleslaw with another piece of Texas toast (that stuff is addictive). If you want to go to a restaurant, I recommend Marcella's in the Shirt North for some Italian. I ordered a giant meatball the one time I went.
How do you describe Bluffton to people you meet who have never heard of it?
A five-minute drive from one side to the other, corn, and churches on every block. I’ll also describe the Blaze of Lights and the craft show and all the other activities that happen around the town. Everyone generally thinks it sounds like a pretty nice place to live (and I agree with them!).
In middle school you were voted “Most Likely to Write a Bestselling Novel.” If you wrote a novel, what would it be about?
As a neuroscience person, I think it would be fun to try to write a novel about what could happen in the human brain that would potnetially cause someone to turn zombie-like (do not worry, it truly is impossible to be like a zombie you see in movies).
Can you share three interesting facts you’ve learned in school?
1. Coffee prevents Alzheimer's.
2. Breathing increases free radicals in your body, which are bad for you in the long run.
3. Dark chocolate can counteract the free radicals that build up while you breathe.
If you could travel anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go and why?
London because of the vast amount of scientific and literary history that exists in the city. I am a massive fan of Sherlock Holmes so being able to see 221B Baker Street is a dream of mine and having the opportunity to visit some historical universities would be an experience I would never forget. Also, London is a beautiful city with famous architecture and tourist attractions.
What was the last book you read for pleasure? Tell us about it.
"You Brain on Food" by Dr. Gary Wenk. Dr. Wenk is the head of neuroscience at OSU and an esteemed neuroscientist. This books describes the role of food, which are chemicals, which are drugs, which are food, which are chemicals, and on and on.
This book describes the neurological effects food has on the brain in detail. It describes the interaction between dark chocolate (an antioxidant) and lethal free radicals which build up due to breathing. It also has a "helpful tip on how to increase cognitive function," which you can learn more about by watching Dr. Wenk's TED Talk ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SvkaK2Al0o)
Who is your favorite musical artist right now?
Twenty One Pilots
Can you give us any song recommendations?
Ride, Stressed Out, & House of Gold
If you were able to personally ask the current presidential candidates about one national issue, what topic would you inquire about and why?
I would inquire about the rising cost of higher education and how they plan to improve our public schools. Without an educated populace we cannot get ahead globally in economics, technology, etc. With teachers underfunded and unable to supply classrooms, as they are in some cases, our students cannot all be properly educated at this point in time.
