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Hallie Stewart '10: "R-MC has allowed me to finally
figure out what I want to do in life." |
Hallie Stewart ’10 had three criteria in mind when she was looking at colleges. “I wanted a small school, a place close to home and a swim team,” says the Midlothian, Virginia native. “Randolph-Macon College was a perfect match. What really made me decide to come to R-MC was the
women’s varsity swim team. I have been a swimmer since I was five years old and I wanted to continue my swimming career in college.”
To read more Student Experience stories, click here.Making Waves Stewart, a
biology major with a minor in
chemistry, has been making waves in and out of the pool for a long time. She was a member of R-MC’s swim team for three years, and in 2007 the team won the ODAC championship for the very first time. “We broke Washington and Lee’s 13-year winning streak,” says Stewart, who was a first-team All-ODAC selection in 2007 and 2009.
Out of the pool, Stewart is a member of the Judicial Board, vice-president of the Pre-Health Society and a member of the Senior Class Board. She is also a member of Beta Beta Beta, a biology Honor Society, and a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
“I can’t imagine myself not being Greek,” she says. “Greek life has allowed me to become a better person, to grow and feel comfortable in my own skin. I have held several leadership positions in Theta: assistant membership chair, recording secretary and administrative secretary. Theta has given me a skill set that will help me in future educational and career opportunities.” Through Kappa Alpha Theta, Stewart has participated in volunteer activities to benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children. This year Theta raised $1,250.50 for CASA.
Internship During January Term 2009, Stewart interned with a local physician. “The
Bassett internship experience really opened my eyes to the world of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN),” says Stewart. “I shadowed a physician, and I saw a baby born via Cesarean section. I learned a lot about women’s health, and I hope to become an OB/GYN nurse practitioner.”
Life-changing Travel Stewart traveled to Australia and New Zealand in January 2010 in conjunction with the R-MC course, The Chemistry of Wine Making, taught by Chemistry Professor Serge Schreiner. “I had never traveled that far from home,” says Stewart. “The experience was absolutely amazing. The course was extremely challenging: who knew viticulture (the study of winemaking) was so complicated and intricate? It was a life-changing experience.” The class toured vineyards and studied the history of Australia and New Zealand. “The
study abroad program allowed me to make strong connections with my classmates and Dr. Schreiner,” says Stewart.
Capstone Project “For my biology capstone project I knew I wanted to educate young women about a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) called HPV (Human Papillomavirus),” says Stewart. “HPV is a very important topic; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that six million people in the United States are infected with HPV annually.” In April 2010, Stewart held a “Greek 101” information session for 75 Greek women from the Randolph-Macon community. “I discussed HPV’s causes and effects, symptoms and prevention,” she says. Stewart’s complete article on HPV can be read by clicking
here.
Future Plans “I cannot believe I am graduating in a few weeks,” says Stewart. “It really does seem like yesterday that I was attending orientation. Randolph-Macon College has allowed me to finally figure out what I want to do in life: take care of people. After college, I plan on working as a scribe at St. Mary’s Hospital. I am also going to study for the GRE (Graduate Records Examinations) and hopefully attend nursing school in the summer of 2011. I want to be a nurse practitioner and specialize in women’s health.”
About the Bassett Internship Program:
The Bassett Internship Program is dedicated to providing a real-world backdrop for future academic learning, as well as preparation for life after graduation. With a history of placements in over 1,100 sites in more than 20 states, Washington, D.C., and 11 foreign countries, students get an opportunity to explore the world of work.
For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon or to schedule a campus visit, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at
admissions@rmc.edu.