Linnea Lane

Somewhere in between the worlds of sound and science is where Linnea Lane hopes to make her mark. A violinist since the age of eight, Lane, who also plays guitar and performs with siblings in a singing trio, is studying chemistry at COCC.

"My current idea is to major in biology and go into a health care field, combining music, working with children and science," she says, pointing to the field of music therapy is one possible direction. For now, she's attaining both her high school diploma and an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree through the Baker Early College program, with plans to transfer to OSU-Cascades.

As a high school sophomore with the Bend Science Station, Lane won the "Best of Fair" award at the 2016 Regional High School Science Fair (held at COCC) for her project in microbial research, a study that examined the influence of genetics and environment on skin surface microbiomes. She went on to present her work at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where she earned a scholarship. Maintaining a 4.0 grade point average while at the College, Lane was one of four students selected to represent COCC on the 2019 All-Oregon Academic Team.

"I'm the fourth of five siblings in my family to attend COCC," she says. "COCC has affordability, quality, knowledgeable professors…I've gotten a diverse education. It's allowed me time to explore, to take the time to figure out what I like."