Hometown: Portland, OR
Major: Neuroscience
Claire Krebs grew up in Portland, Oregon and attended Central Catholic High School. As a freshman, Claire wanted to immerse herself in her community and felt determined to grow as a leader. She served on student council for three years, acting as student body president her junior and senior years. Her time in student government exposed her to other opportunities, including being a grantmaker in a chapter of Portland’s Schnitzer CARE foundation. This allowed her to be part of a group that allocated approximately $75,000 over three years to nonprofits fighting food insecurity, domestic violence, houselessness, and more. Service and the nonprofit sector is important to Claire. She volunteers weekly for Every Body Athletics, an organization that works to strengthen the physical and social lives of those with disabilities through exercise and conversation, and was selected as one of their school ambassadors. She ran cross country for four years and was a team captain during her senior year. In her junior and senior years, she began focusing more heavily on her passion for science as a member of Oregon Health & Science University's Partnership for Scientific Inquiry Program. During the summer of 2021, she interned at the Portland Veterans Affairs Hospital, researching the connections between methamphetamine, sleep, and inflammation.
Claire graduated as valedictorian and as a National Merit Finalist and is majoring in neuroscience and philosophy. She believes the intersection of these two disciplines provides for a more holistic and person-centered approach to science and medicine. This year, she is hoping to explore new environments and looks forward to learning from her peers. She is grateful to be a Johnson Scholar and cannot wait to put the Claire in Santa Clara!