Alumni Corner: Margaret Stelzner

Alumni Corner: Margaret Stelzner
Margaret Stelzner is a former Hopkins High School cross country and track athlete. She may not compete in races anymore, but she is on pace to complete the graduate program of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. Stelzner is currently studying neural circuitry of learning and motivation in the Saunders Lab. As a trainee on the addiction neuroscience team, she is investigating the role of a specific population of neurons in cue encoding and reward-seeking scenarios.

Who was your favorite music artist the year you graduated?
Brandi Carlile

Where was your favorite hangout spot at Hopkins High School?
As a cross country and track athlete, I spent a lot of time on the track.

How did Hopkins prepare you for the future?
Hopkins offered ProPEL, a program that allowed high school seniors to shadow or work alongside professionals in their field of interest. I spent my time with a school psychologist learning what her job entailed and how she did it. The experience provided me with a unique learning experience. While I didn’t pursue a career as a school psychologist, the experience underscored my interest in understanding behavior — my first clue of my interest in the neurological underpinnings of behavior.

Stats: Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College • PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, Neuroscience