Most college students would stress about not having a lot of free time or taking on too many things at once. 
Francesca White is not most students.
“I really enjoy all the things I’m involved in,” she said.
And White is involved in a lot of things.
The senior genetics and cell biology double major is chair of the Coalition for Women Students and president of the Xi Psi chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In addition, she’s involved with the McNair Achievement Program, which helps with graduate school preparations, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, which helps STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students research opportunities and preparation for graduate and professional school, White said.
“If you plan ahead 8 (a.m.) to 5 (p.m.), in theory, you can study in between everything,” she said. “I’m usually done by 5 (p.m.).”
Done is a relative term. White, a self-described nontraditional student and single mom, takes care of her 7-year-old son after work.
“The free time I do have I spend helping him with his homework,” she said. “He’s a second grader.”
White said she chose to come to WSU because of the strong sense of community, strong Cougar pride and easy interaction between students and professors.
“I’m a military brat; I claim Spokane though,” she said. “It’s close enough to home and has a strong sense of community.”
White plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in genetics after her time at WSU. However, she plans on continuing to have a strong presence in the community, wherever her future takes her.
“My ultimate goal is to become a professor and recruit students of color and women into the sciences,” she said. “I want to be an active voice in the community.”
That being said, politics is something White does not want to go into. She jokingly said she’d never run for mayor, but she would like to keep the community informed on legislation.
Focusing on the present, White loves being in Pullman and the passion that comes with it.
“I love being a Coug,” she said. “People should be passionate about everything. If I want to make lemonade out of oranges, I know I can work hard enough to do it.”
