Gaolunha Nicole Vang, ‘14
Why did you choose to come to UMR? I chose to study at UMR because I liked the small class size and that I would have the opportunity to get to know my professors. My K-12 education was at a small private school and I knew I preferred a smaller school to be successful. I often think about the future, and at that time I was looking to go into medical school, so I wanted my letters of recommendation to be personal.
What did your Capstone experience at UMR involve? My Capstone involved three components and they all revolved around community health and literacy. The first component was taking rigorous coursework in the areas of Biology, Public Health and Health Care Communication and Literacy. The second component was community involvement. A good amount of my free time as a college student was volunteering in the Rochester community such as the Ronald McDonald House, the Gift of Life Transplant House, The Rochester Student Association Club and local food banks. The final component involved spending 15 weeks in Washington, D.C. as a White House intern. This was my favorite part of my Capstone experience. I worked with some of the nation’s most important people on issues that were and still are affecting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. These issues include health care gaps, data disaggregation, immigration reform and youth engagement.
How did your Capstone experience prepare you for your future in what you’re currently doing? At first, I thought my Capstone experience threw me off of the course I was supposed to be on, which was to become a medical doctor. I’ve come to realize that it was a blessing in disguise. My Capstone prepared me to think independently, allowing me to understand health care issues from different perspectives. It prepared me to understand the importance of building strong, meaningful relationships. It taught me to challenge myself by not just speaking about change, but making change happen. Lastly, it taught me to not be afraid of challenges or obstacles that come my way.
What are you currently doing? I am currently working as a Clinical Safety Advisor for Medtronic where I see first-hand the development of new health care technologies that are created to help assist health care providers with contributing to human welfare by alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life.
Was there a faculty member that positively impacted your time at UMR and how? Each and every one of the faculty members impacted my time at UMR. I'm quite an outgoing person and UMR was still quite small when I was there allowing me to have a personal connection with all my professors. I felt that each professor was approachable and I had no trouble communicating with them when I needed help in the course.