The Des Moines University Student Service Award recognizes students from all programs who demonstrate efforts to improve lives in our global community through volunteerism. By enrolling in this recognition program, students commit to representing DMU with integrity and upholding its institutional values (accountability, collaboration, honesty, inclusiveness and wellness) while volunteering, reporting and reflecting on their experiences. On May 22, DMU recognized 58 students with this year’s Service Awards.
Once the students completed 50 hours of service, they complete a final reflection on their most meaningful volunteer experiences, their activities and observations, resulting changes in their understanding of the community or themselves, possible ways they can continue their involvement with the group or social issue, any frustrations or challenges, and ways to make their experiences better or more meaningful.
Students also were asked to draw from their volunteer experiences to write a letter to their future patients to explain how their service outside the classroom shaped them into the care provider they hope to be. During the ceremony Nadia Nikoueiha, a podiatric medical student, read her letter aloud and shared specific examples of ways in which she developed immensely as a health care provider through her service experiences.
Attendees at the May 22 ceremony included Emily Shields, executive director of the Iowa Campus Compact who has a master’s degree in philanthropy and nonprofit development from the University of Northern Iowa. She spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. The Iowa Campus Compact is a statewide association of college and university presidents providing leadership for the civic mission of higher education. A great partner of DMU’s community relations department, the compact strengthens the capacity of its member colleges and universities to prepare all students to become engaged citizens. It works to support member campuses in developing community partnerships that result in student learning, community impact and institutional success.
Also thanking students for their service during the ceremony were Ralitsa Akins, M.D., Ph.D., DMU’s new provost; Jodi Cahalan, Ph.D., M.P.H.’01, M.S.’93, PA-C’89, DFAAPA, dean of the College of Health Sciences; Bret Ripley, D.O., FACOFP, FPLI, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine; and Robert Yoho, D.P.M., M.S., FACFAS, dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. A theme of “leadership” emerged among the speeches, recognizing the 58 students as true leaders in the health care profession for the work that they do. Dean Cahalan shared a pertinent quote by anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Listed below, along with their DMU program, are the students who received the award:
Peter Ahn, D.O.
Kathryn Aitkens, D.O.
Brett Albert, D.O.
Alex Bischoff, D.P.M.
Sarah Campbell, D.O.
Alexandra Cooke, D.O.
Kelsey Coy, D.O.
Austin Crose, D.O.
Shaohan Deng, D.O.
Caitlin Descovich O’Hare, D.O.
Cassie Donahue, M.S.A.
Jordan Estes, D.O.
Kathryn Estes, D.O.
Kellan Etter, D.O.
Ashley Ewert, D.O., M.S.A.
Alexia Fisher, D.O.
Nuala Flood, D.O.
Joshua Francois, D.O.
Emily Franzen, D.O.
Alisha Fujita, D.O.
Jacob Gianuzzi, D.O.
Alexis Hanson, D.O.
Reece Hass, D.O.
Eric Held, D.P.T.
Sydney Houde, D.O.
Kelsey Hupp, D.O.
Jacob Iceberg, D.O.
Philip Jurasinski, D.O.
Syeda Kazmi, D.P.M.
Brian Kwan, D.O.
Brian Lifschutz, D.O., M.S.B.S.
Marne Louters, D.O.
Richard Ma, D.O.
Daniel Masin, D.O.
Isaac Metzler, D.O.
Madison Meyer, D.O.
Natalie Mironov, D.O.
Noel Murray, D.P.T.
Katelyn Myers, D.O.
Sonia Nair, D.O.
Nadia Nikoueiha, D.P.M.
Lauren Rank, D.O.
Stephen Rockhill, D.P.M.
Miranda Roland, D.O.
Amy Ross, D.P.M.
Lauren Rowan, D.P.M.
Kaylee Rowe, D.O.
Kyle Siefers, D.O.
Morgan Steffen, D.O.
Sarah Tammaro, D.P.M.
Nina Tieu, D.O.
Taylor Tomczyk, D.O., M.P.H.
Erin Traxler, D.O.
Adrianne Webb, D.P.M.
Paul Williams, D.P.M.
Mark Wise, D.O.
Bailey Wolding, D.O.
Molly (Mary) Wootten, D.O.
