Brennen de Jong
Brennen de Jong
Class Year
’25
Hometown
Rensselaer, IN
Major(s)
Chemistry
Minor(s)
Biology
Brennen de Jong ’25, a recipient of the Highest Honors Scholarship, is majoring in chemistry with a minor in biology. On campus, Brennen is involved as treasurer for the honorary chemistry fraternity, Theta Chi Delta, and is a chemistry lab assistant. During his sophomore year at Carthage, he received the Aspiring Young Chemist Award.
Brennen also works in an analytical lab as part of a chemistry internship at the University of Minnesota. There, he uses many of the same instruments he learned about in his Carthage chemistry classes.
Learn more about chemistry at Carthage
Faculty mentors
“Carthage faculty have affected my life immensely, especially the Chemistry Department faculty. One of the driving forces for my pursuit of a chemistry degree was Professor Christine Blaine. She is a great professor, always very passionate about her teaching, and also very considerate toward her students. The chemistry faculty are very personable people and will always help out students, whether it be an academic or personal issue.”
Favorite class
“My favorite class so far has been Analytical Chemistry I because I enjoyed focusing on precision and accuracy within the lab and learning about quantitative limitations in chemistry lab work.”
Campus involvement
“I was on the Carthage soccer team my freshman year and have been part of the Carthage Soccer Club since it was founded.”
Golden opportunities
“I attended a J-Term study tour in Honduras led by professors Daniel Miller and Paul Martino. I got scuba-certified while exploring Caribbean reefs and even got to swim with Caribbean reef sharks, which was something that has been on my bucket list.”
Internships or campus employment
“I have been a chemistry lab assistant at Carthage since the second semester of my freshman year and will continue to be one until I graduate. It has been an excellent experience for me to help students with experiments while maintaining a safe environment. I have also gotten to know many chemistry faculty members I otherwise wouldn’t have met.”
“As for internships, I am currently finishing up a chemistry internship at the University of Minnesota working in an analytical lab with many instruments that I learned about in my Analytical II chemistry class.”
Career goal
“My career goal is still yet to be defined, but I am passionate about analytical chemistry and would love to do something that relates to the betterment of the environment.”
Best study tip
“My best study tip is to start assignments early when the content is fresh in your mind. You don’t necessarily need to finish everything early, but I find that when I start things early, it makes it easier to come back to it. Also, take breaks to refresh your mind. I like to go for a walk or run between studying to refresh and think about something else for a bit.”
What would your 8-year-old self think of you now?
“My eight-year-old self thought he would be either working a desk job and drinking coffee, or working at a bee farm in New Zealand, so he would be very surprised by my current career path.”