About Me

The liberal arts tradition incorporates a well rounded, balanced, and insightful education that inspires the desire to continue life-long learning. Moreover, it fosters the development of the whole person and encourages students to find a calling in life. The mission of St. Olaf College embodies this liberal arts tradition by creating an environment that prepares its students to seek lives of worth and service. Through the creation of my Integrative Studies major, internships, on-campus programs, and volunteer opportunities I have acquired the skills and knowledge I need to embark on a virtuous life.

It has always been my belief that there is no higher spiritual value than being of service to another individual. This conviction has fueled my passion to reach out, listen, and help others. It has inspired my calling to be a physician. The Center for Integrative Studies has enabled me to pursue my mission to be a physician while nurturing my zeal for service through the cultivation of my individual major titled Compassion and Medicine. Opportunities such as these have allowed me to incorporate various subject matters in order to draw meaningful conclusions about the way in which compassion is linked with professionalism in the health care field. Creating an individual major has challenged me to identify and articulate relationships among various subjects and has encouraged me to blend my studies with my religion major. I have been able to identify and generate ways of integrating religious and ethical realities with the scientific practices of medicine. Although discussions of spirituality and religion have long been avoided in the study and practice of medicine, the combination of my majors has challenged me to seek new ways of integrating these subjects in inclusive and innovative ways. My studies as a religion major and integrative studies major have developed my ability to think critically, fostered skills needed to serve others compassionately, integrated my academic learning with world issues and personal experiences, and has prepared me for a life of worth and service.

Experiential learning at St. Olaf has brought a practical application to my academic studies. Interning at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northfield Hospice Center provided an invaluable opportunity to observe first hand two very different philosophies of health care. While interning at NMH, I experienced two very different worlds coexisting side by side: the highly technological world of busy health care professionals and the fearful, uncertain world of the ill patient. Interning at the NHC led me to a very different philosophy of care that is centered on palliative in-home nursing for people in the last phases of incurable disease. Through these internships I identified aspects of health care that promote compassion and explored ways of bridging the gap between these two methodologies. In order to promote patient-centered care and spiritual dialogue, it is necessary to incorporate aspects of both forms of health care into the practice of medicine. Experiential learning made it possible for me to witness the effects of compassionate health care and recognize the areas in which compassion is lacking in our health care system. These experiences were crucial in preparing me for a life of worth and service because they challenged me to identify and practice the skills needed to provide compassionate care, support, and service to those in need.

Participation in on-campus programs has also prepared me for a life of worth and service because they have promoted self-discovery. Through my leadership roles as a Junior Counselor, Wellness Peer educator, and Ambassador Host Coordinator, I have acquired a heightened sense of self-awareness, confidence, and self-sufficiency. These are worthwhile attributes to posses when helping, caring for, and improving people's lives. Additionally, these experiences helped me realize that an essential part of service is to inspire others to reach their potential, support others in their quest for self-discovery, forgive bad judgment, encourage good decision-making, and develop healthy relationships. Through these leadership positions, I have cultivated these skills and identified essential components of living a life of worth and service.

Volunteering has enforced my belief that every person has something special to offer the world and everyone deserves to be loved and accepted. During my college career I have volunteered with the Adopt a Grandparent program, Health Education for Youth, Habitat for Humanity, COAP, Camp Courageous, and World Vision organization. These experiences have taught me that a life of worth and service consists of making small, but important impacts on peoples' lives. Thinking globally and acting locally has enabled me to make a difference in the world, one person at a time.

Preparation for a life of worth and service is an ongoing effort. As a student of St. Olaf College I have begun this endeavor through both academic and experiential learning. These experiences have helped me to integrate values of truth, love and acceptance into my life; enhance my moral sensitivity; and fuel my passion to reach out, help, and serve others. As I embark on my vocation as a physician, I am not only prepared to engage in a life of worth and service but I am honored to seek this life of virtue.