August 2017

“It’s always inspiring to me to meet people who feel that they can make a difference in the world. That’s their motive, that’s their passion. I think that’s what makes your life meaningful, that’s what fills your own heart and that’s what gives you purpose.” –Maria Shriver

This quote perfectly captures the reason why I aspire to become a healthcare administrator. Having volunteered on the oncology unit at the hospital my mother worked at from a very young age, I was always drawn to how the nurses and staff provided comfort and care with such a positive attitude throughout such a difficult time in a patient’s life. Something that stuck with me to this day was that although some days might have been tougher than others, my mother never lost sight of her passion and did in everything in her power to care for her patients to the best of her ability. These experiences with volunteering and seeing my mother’s passions prompted me to want to be a part of the administrative tasks involved in a hospital and contributing to improve the patient experience.

This summer, I was privileged to have had the opportunity to intern for two world-renowned organizations. I interned for Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s bi-institutional research center in the Center for Comparative Medicine and Pathology in New York City. The Center for Comparative Medicine and Pathology works to support collaborative research by purchasing supplies or equipment that researchers may need in the care and use of animals, putting in payroll, and analyzing profits/losses within the department.

I began my internship in late May and rotated between various administrative sections within the department each week. Some sections that I shadowed include the Lab, Finance and Information Systems Administration, Billing, Husbandry and Operations, and Education and Quality Assurance. I was introduced to billing processes, standard of procedures, and payroll. This rotation has helped me to see all of the components that go into efficiently running a research facility.

Throughout this internship, I have further improved my skills in using Excel. I learned how to create Pivot Tables and use various elements within Excel that further help the Billing Department summarize and analyze data. My listening and writing skills have also further developed by recording the minutes of general staff meetings. I was able to summarize key points and details into a Word document that would later be referenced by all staff within the department. I was also taught how to think critically when finding solutions to problems, as I contributed in implementing a new pick-up process into the department that is more time efficient for both staff and researchers.

This internship has taught me the responsibilities of working in the real world that include being on time, dressing professionally and working hard to produce results. Having to take a train and a subway everyday to my workplace, I needed to make sure that I was ready by a certain time in order to arrive at my workplace in a timely manner. Working hard to fulfill the day’s responsibilities further taught me to practice these time management skills.

One of the biggest mistakes that I have made was at the beginning of my internship when I did not ask many questions. However, I learned that it is necessary to ask questions to learn and get the most out of my internship experience. By asking questions, I was able to get clarification on things that I did not understand which further enhanced my knowledge in administration. From this, I was able to receive feedback and constructive criticism from my mentors that helped me to grow in my desired field and helped me to understand what I needed to work on moving forward.

I have learned that teamwork and communication is key in the workplace. During each meeting that I attended, especially the general staff meetings, everyone from each section was able to bring up important issues that needed to be fixed or that were in the final stages of completion. Some of these steps to being resolved required collaboration with other sections to achieve their end goal. Not only did I notice this outward communication and teamwork with staff, but I also witnessed it through my mentors who were open to hearing my ideas on certain issues and how I would work to improve particular situations. They were open to seeing a different perspective through an outside pair of eyes.

I am most proud of implementing a more organized and time efficient process into the laboratory. Noticing the current process for researchers picking up blocks and slides and noting that it could be further improved, I worked with my mentor to implement an easier pick-up process that would increase work flow and decrease time searching for them by using a specific organizational method. We then collaborated with the Lab Manager and staff and later got approval, with the implementation process to begin shortly. This specific moment in my internship is the most memorable because I was able to leave my mark at the facility, and gain experience in collaborating with and incorporating everyone’s ideas into a more efficient process for everyone.

Another one of my most memorable moments was sitting in on a general staff meeting with many senior staff. In one of my health administration classes with Dr. Olden, I learned how meetings are facilitated and the specific measures needed to take in order to make sure necessary information is talked about in the allotted time. It was interesting to apply that knowledge and see it play out in the real world setting. This meeting opened my eyes to the many things the bi-institutional facility does across the different sections, in not only administration but in clinical services as well.

My advice for anyone who is going into an internship would be to take advantage of every opportunity you get. Don’t be afraid to ask if you could shadow a meeting that is of particular interest to you or attend a seminar that is being offered. Internships are for learning about your interests and exploring something that you might find interesting pertaining to your desired career path. I would also connect with the people that work in the facility with you. It is important to network, and also get to know your co-workers and mentors, which makes the internship more enjoyable.

My internship at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s bi-institutional research center has provided me with the opportunity to explore what health administration involves in a research facility setting. This internship has allowed me to dive into projects and tasks within different sections that have taught me how the business side works into operating a research facility. I learned a lot through this experience and will continue to take this learned knowledge and apply it to my future internships or jobs. I am truly thankful to have been a part of an internship where I was helping to support innovative research that could possibly cure cancer one day.

The thing was I had never heard about ISP until the day before the application was due. The only reason I found out was because a friend of mine was telling me about how he had just applied. I had no idea what I was applying for except the chance to go to another country and immerse myself in their culture. I thought that I was going to change the world in only eights days, the length of the trip. I could never have expected the people I would meet, the friends I would make and the lasting impression that would be left upon me. I could have pictured millions of things that I would see on this trip but none would compare to the actual picture in front of me.

During my eight days in San Bernardino, Guatemala, we worked alongside the people of Partners in Development (PID). The head of PID in Guatemala was a women named Abbey who we worked beside, either in the clinic or down in the village. My group of Scranton members and a young couple named Shelby and Colin were tasked with staying at the clinic to play with the kids or go down to the village to paint houses and install stoves. Families apply for their son/daughter to be sponsored through PID. A sponsor then calls and is given a photo and biography of all the kids from which they can choose. Once sponsored that monthly payment goes to the family in ways of material goods such as baby formula, books for school or other everyday necessities.

With the help of a single sponsor the family’s lives are forever changed.
From day one I was put right to work optioning to go into the village to paint houses and install stoves. An open doorway would lead into a home that contained a dirt floor with mattresses on the ground and not much else in terms of furniture. Kids were everywhere throughout the village watching the group with interested expressions. The kids swarmed my fellow workers wanting any sort of attention they could get because they wanted to meet the “strangers.”

Our translators Juan Carlos and Sergio immediately put us to work installing a stove, which, we found out, is not light task. These pieces of concrete were stacked like a puzzle on top of each other until a pipe was able to be inserted on the side and up and out the roof to let the smoke funnel outside. This stove would make cooking a simple task now, instead of having an open flame with smoke blinding the cook. I would never have expected a family to be so thankful to receive a concrete stove but I will never forget the smiles that crossed their faces upon entering their updated home.

That day, we also painted a home for man and his family. The moment we entered his compound he immediately came over to us to say thank you. He continuously asked if we needed anything, meanwhile we were supposed to be helping him. Each and every day was hot, humid and tiring but every time I wanted to stop I would look up and see this man working right alongside of us. Watching him made me realize they do this every day, and if they can work through it so could I.

It has been just about two months since my trip and it crosses my mind every day. My group of fellow Scranton students/chaperones who were mostly unfamiliar with each other is now a family. We met for the first time and, I must say, it was very awkward because we were all differed in grade levels and had never met before. I remember thinking to myself there is no way I could survive this trip with strangers. Looking back I was so foolish to think this because ISP gave me the opportunity to develop lasting friendships with students who I would never encounter on campus. Without this group I would not have survived the trip as it is not something you can do alone. It was in this group where I was able to talk about what I saw or what I experienced that day that I just couldn’t hold in. Who would’ve thought we would go from complete strangers to a family in just eight days of bugs, dirt and concrete? A quote that summarizes these experiences with my group “show me some love” – they wish to not be named.

So I went from never hearing about ISP to going on a trip that changed the way I view my life and the lives of others. It brought me closer to religion as it made me thankful for the life that my parents have given me. I am forever thankful to Barbara King and the whole Campus Ministries staff for their countless hours that helped make my trip what it was. To my group and chaperones thank you for listening to me rattle on about something and never appearing uninterested, and thank you to PID and all those that spend countless hours trying to help the families of Guatemala. I would like to conclude with a quote that came to mind recently:

On Aug. 21, the University of Scranton gathered together to share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience- the first total solar eclipse since Feb. 26, 1979. Equipped with their solar eclipse glasses- some homemade, some bought- the students and faculty collected outside of the Loyola Science Center and all over campus to sneak a peek at the eclipse.

“It was just one of those things you need to take a minute to sit back and see, it’s rare and special and we were lucky enough to experience it on our lifetimes,” said Nicole Borrelli, a senior.

Stay tuned for the sister lunar eclipse that is set to appear on Jan. 31, 2018.

Check out photos from the solar eclipse on Flickr. 

There really isn’t anything more nerve wracking than the start of a new semester as a freshman and not knowing what to expect from each of your classes. We are lucky enough to have the extremely helpful advisors here at the University that make you feel more than welcome to ask questions and seek help!

As a junior, the biggest skill I have learned would be to have good time management skills. A lot of teachers have their entire semester planned out, so I find it helpful to make a set schedule of when to study. We asked some students and faculty for their advice for the start of a successful new year. Here’s some tips you won’t want to miss!

 Faculty tips:

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• “Go to class, try, and don’t be afraid to ask for help!” – Bryn Schofield, administrative assistant to CAS associate dean
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• “Give undivided attention and heart to those whom you serve. The person who is in front of you is the most important person and this is how you encounter God in your life.” -Dr. Maria Oreshkina, Education Department Chair, director of Graduate Programs
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• Student tips:

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  “I like to get my assignments done right when I get them so I don’t feel overwhelmed when the due dates catch up to me and all fall on the same week.” – Kaela Farrell ’19, PCPS student
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  “Don’t  be afraid to go to the Dean’s office if an advisor can’t help you. They can clarify whatever questions you have if an advisor is unsure.” – Bethany Walsh ’19, CAS student
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  “It’s good to get to know your advisors, but be respectful and patient because it is important to remember that while they are always available to help, they are also helping a lot of other people too.” – Lizzie Asmar, ’19, KSOM student

One last piece of advice is to utilize all of the resources we have here on campus. The tutoring center, our advisors, the library and, most importantly, your professors are all options that can help you better your education. Everyone wants you to succeed, and thankfully we have the tools to do so!

On Friday afternoon, the University of Scranton’s Club and Organization Office hosted the Fall Club Fair on the Dionne Green. The fair provided a number of various different clubs for any student looking to join in a multitude of activities on campus- ranging in anything from Colleges against Cancer, Relay for Life, Urban Beats Crew, PRSSA, Campus Ministries, International Business Club and so much more! No matter what your interests or hobbies, there was sure to be a fit for anyone willing to join a club.

If you missed out on the Club Fair, check out Royal Sync for upcoming club meetings.

Check out our Flickr for more pictures of the event.

This past weekend, the University of Scranton welcomed the Class of 2021 into the Royals family. The University of Scranton welcomed more than 1,200 incoming undergraduate, graduate and transfer students this weekend with a number of activities, including the New Student Convocation, Mass, the traditional class photo, residence halls, commuter meetings, and an alumni legacy reception.

More than 40 first-year students took part in the FIRST (Freshmen Involved in Reflective Service  Together) service program, which is hosted by the Campus Ministries’ Center for Service and Social Justice. And, current University of Scranton students also started their school year off with service by volunteering at the Back to School Bonanza, which took place on Sunday at the Marketplace at Steamtown.

Check out photos from Welcome Weekend on our Flickr.

And, a big Royal welcome to all of the students of the University of Scranton. Have a wonderful year!