WKU News

When Lilian Branch first arrived at Western Kentucky University, much of her future felt uncertain. “As a freshman… a lot of the dreams I had felt so far away and so lofty and unachievable,” she recalls. What she did have, though, was curiosity and a willingness to follow it.

Now a junior, that same curiosity has taken shape in ways she once couldn’t have imagined.

“I definitely feel like I’ve more than exceeded… what I thought college would look like,” Lilian says. “All this was very by chance.” But looking back, her path reflects something more intentional: a series of decisions to lean into opportunities, even when she wasn’t sure where they would lead.

One of those decisions brought her into Dr. Joseph Marquardt’s research lab, where she studies Saccharomyces cerevisiae (better known as baker’s yeast) to better understand how cells regulate their shape and function. “I was able to get into Dr. Marquardt’s lab… and have him as a mentor since starting sophomore year until right now,” she says. What began as an early goal has become a defining part of her WKU experience, and now, the foundation for her honors thesis as she prepares for her senior year.

That experience also reshaped her future plans. “I think being part of Dr. Marquardt’s lab has helped me solidify that I do not want to go to medical school,” she explains. Instead, she’s exploring paths in biomedical research and considering graduate study, with an interest in finding ways to connect her scientific work with her language skills.

Through WKU’s Chinese Flagship Program, Lilian has spent multiple summers studying abroad in Taiwan as a three time recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS). What once felt like a long shot has become a meaningful and familiar part of her journey. “Each time I got it… it was always a surprise for me,” she says. “It just felt like everything was worth it.” Over time, those experiences have given her more than language proficiency. “I feel like I’ve built my own little community in Taiwan… so I have that to come back to each summer.”

Together, her work in the lab and her time abroad have helped bring her goals into clearer focus. “As a junior, [the goals] feel like a little bit more achievable.”

Lilian is quick to point out that she didn’t get there alone. She credits Dr. Marquardt for his mentorship in the lab, as well as the broader support system that helped her navigate opportunities like CLS. Faculty and staff connected to the Chinese Flagship Program like program director Dr. Ke Peng and Instructor Dr. Yuyun Lei; Dr. Alex Poole of the department of modern languages; and the Office of Scholar Development (OSD) team – Dr. Melinda Grimsley and Anna Mayo – played an important role early on, helping her take initial steps that once felt out of reach. “[WKU] still kept that small community feel where professors genuinely care… and support me throughout that way,” she says.

What’s changed most, though, is how she approaches those opportunities. “When I hear about an opportunity, I’m very curious to see if it would work or not,” she explains. That mindset paired with persistence has turned uncertainty into direction.

As she looks ahead to her senior year, Lilian is focused on completing her thesis and preparing for what comes next, whether that’s graduate study or research opportunities that allow her to continue bridging science and language. The path is still unfolding, but it no longer feels out of reach.

Her advice to other students reflects that shift. “Give yourself the benefit of the doubt that you can do it,” she says. “Even if I weren’t able to complete the things that I have completed… at least I can look back and say that I’ve tried.”

It’s a perspective shaped by experience and one that captures how far she’s come.

“I never want to be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t try.’”