This summer, I had the pleasure of working at the Franciscan Health Workwell office in
Greenwood, Indiana. I am incredibly grateful to have worked with Franciscan because it
enabled me to see the inner workings of medical practice and discuss medical issues from all
over the globe.
First, I would like to thank Dr. Guy Crowder. Dr. Crowder opened my eyes to a side of medicine
that I had never thought about before: tropical medicine. While working with Dr. Crowder, I
learned about dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria, illnesses that, while non-existent in the
United States, are incredibly common in Africa and South America. I learned the importance of
being proactive when getting vaccines, especially when traveling overseas. I enjoyed learning
about people’s reasons for traveling worldwide, whether it was seeing family for the first time in
decades or people enjoying retirement. Finally, I believe that the most critical lesson Dr.
Crowder taught me was that being a doctor means that you must show kindness and respect to
all patients no matter how they treat you.
Second, I would like to thank the Franciscan Immunization Team, Marnita Mills and Misty
Marcum, who both showed me great kindness by allowing me to create vaccine information
sheets about both HPV and Meningitis B. In addition, they were always willing to answer my
questions and advise me when working on my projects. We share a real hope to spread the
word about essential vaccines for illnesses that are most common on college campuses. Both
Marnita and Misty are hoping to continue spreading the word on Wabash’s campus during the
class of 2026 orientation period.
Third, I would like to thank Craig Miller ‘97. Craig was my supervisor during my time with
Franciscan, who is the definition of a Wabash man. Craig was always ready to answer a
question when I had one and always checked up on me to see how I was doing. I was always
able to have amazing conversations with Craig, whether it was about my experiences at
Franciscan to our shared love of Wabash College. I look to Craig as an example of who I
would like to be when I am an alumnus of Wabash College.
Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Eric Wetzel, Jill Rogers, and Wabash College for allowing me
the opportunity to take part in this Global Health Initiative internship. I came to Wabash in
August of 2021 and had no idea how lucky I would be to receive advice, teaching, and help from
so many fantastic people. Specifically to Jill Rogers, I want to thank you for meeting with me on
February 2nd, 2022. Without that discussion, I can confidently say that I would not have
stepped out of my comfort zone and applied for this internship. In addition, I want to thank
again Dr. Crowder, who I view as not just a mentor but also a friend.
