STUDENT STORY

“I chose Oakland University because it was close to my home, and I’m very close to my family. I also chose it for their honors college, which really excited me.

I’ve always been interested in medicine, and I’ve always wanted to help people. I figured a health sciences degree would help me on the path to medical school.

I was very surprised by the amount of resources that we have at Oakland. I was a commuter my first two years, and it wasn’t until my second year that I really got involved on campus. I realized that we have so many resources to help students excel, so I decided to work for the new student orientation programs. During orientation, we talk about the counseling center, financial aid or student financial services, tutoring centers and things that help with different aspects of college that students may struggle with.

I’m also part of Love Your Melon, which is an organization that focuses on pediatric cancer awareness. I’ve been involved since freshman year, and we often visit hospitals. When we visit, we spend time with children diagnosed with cancer and dress up as superheroes while bringing beanies and making crafts with them.

Love Your Melon helped me decide what I wanted to do for my career, and I know now that I want to be a pediatric oncologist. Through my experiences at Love Your Melon, I was able to see firsthand families of children battling cancer and how we can figure out ways to help them.

Getting involved and having a full course load has helped me learn how to prioritize and manage my time wisely within different areas of my life. This will be so helpful in the future, especially since I want to go into the medical field. In addition, my experience as an orientation leader and resident assistant taught me how to communicate with others when assessing their needs, which is a skill I will use during my career with patients.”

(Val, Health Sciences and Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration, Oakland University)