When Randolph-Macon College alumna Rachel Salazar ’18 walked across the stage to pick up her diploma on Commencement day, she did so proudly. Four years of hard work—from academics to community service—culminated in a day of celebration as she looked toward the future.

Salazar, a chemistry and biology major, will begin the Physician Assistant program at Shenandoah University in Leesburg, Virginia this summer.

Serving the Underserved
Shenandoah’s 30-month, graduate-level program emphasizes service to medically underserved populations and a team approach to the delivery of health care. The program’s mission is important to Salazar, who for the past four years has served Ashland and Hanover counties as an EMT. On one of her first runs with the EMT crew, Salazar performed CPR on a patient. It was an experience she will never forget.

“For some people, we are the last chance they have and for others, we are there just to listen,” Salazar says. “My goal is to always be a contributing member of whatever community I am a part of.”

Getting the Edge on Graduate School Preparation
Josh Quinn, medical careers coordinator for The Edge, RMC’s career preparation program, worked with Salazar throughout her college career, assisting her with graduate-school applications.

“He also worked with me on my interview skills and touched up my résumé,” says Salazar. “Josh was incredibly helpful, and thanks to him, I was much better prepared going into the application process.”

Quinn was impressed by the fact that Salazar started the application process early after researching the programs that would be a good fit for her.

“That process involved crafting a personal statement that clearly defined her passion and plan for becoming a physician assistant; completing primary and secondary applications; and securing strong letters of recommendations from the faculty and medical personnel she has worked with throughout her career at RMC,” says Quinn. “Her hard work resulted in multiple interviews and acceptance offers, and she chose Shenandoah’s program, as it best met her goals. As everyone who has worked with Rachel can attest, she is an extremely caring individual who will be a wonderful physician assistant.”

Campus Life
Salazar, a proud member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa, served on the Student Conduct Board, Phi Lambda Upsilon and the National Residence Hall Honorary; and for four years she worked in RMC’s Campus Store. During her sophomore and junior years, she served as a Resident Assistant. She also co-founded Macon Melodies, an a cappella club that performs each year on campus.

A recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, Salazar credits the RMC family—staff, faculty, and peers—for making her college experience one she’ll never forget.

“The best thing about being a Yellow Jacket is that I’m part of a community full of people who support one another through college and for years to come,” she says.