My Name is John Makis. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Chemistry. I really enjoyed the academic atmosphere and the challenges of scientific research. I participated in the Freshman Research Initiative under the guidance of Dr. Keith J. Stevenson in the Nanomaterials for Chemical Catalysis group. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the group and I am grateful for the amazing opportunities it brought. I later went on to work under Dr. Philip Magnus learning the techniques necessary for natural product synthesis. My experience with the group taught me many valuable skills and I developed a passion for organic synthesis. In the future, I want to return the the academic life to obtain a PhD within the field of chemistryMost of my work experience has come from research and peer mentoring (similar to teaching assistant). I spent 4 years total working in research groups at UT. I spent my first stint doing quantitative physical chemistry on nanoparticle catalysts. I was able to present my research at a national ACS convention and I co-wrote a manuscript published by The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. My second stint I developed a love for organic chemistry (specifically natural products synthesis) and the bench-work associated with it. Working with my hands is a passion of mine and bench-work is where I am in my element. I also have interned in an office doing filing, data entry, packing and shipping, and any other tasks that needed to be done.