Creating a Brighter Future
Writer: Shaina F. / Editor and Graphic Designer: Savannah T. / Photos provided by chapter
Throughout her college career, Maggie F. has used her natural skills of helping others in order to bring light to the world around her. Maggie, a senior studying Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences, has found her calling in medicine, and wants to create a future out of that passion.
Upon arrival at Florida State four years ago, Maggie still was not sure of exactly what she wanted to do for her career. She knew she had a passion for the medical sciences, but didn’t know where to go with that. However, by joining the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), Maggie knew that she had a passion for research and wanted to continue her growth of knowledge as much as possible.
Now along with her research she conducts, Maggie is also a UROP leader. By doing this, it enables her to help guide younger students through the research process. Being a leader has “allowed me to help younger kids which I love. I get to teach them and get them excited and involved with research.”
Maggie has an undeniable love for helping people. Throughout her time at FSU, she has constantly found time for volunteering and philanthropy, despite her very rigorous course schedule. Over the past few years, Maggie has been a part of many mission trips. Through these trips, she was able to gain experience in the medical field by working with doctors there, along with being able to help others. She explains that these trips “impacted her outlook” and solidified her passion for medicine and what she wanted to do with her life.
“I was still trying to figure out whether or not I wanted to do medicine,” says Maggie. “These trips made me realize how helpful you can be, working with others.”
All throughout Maggie’s life, she has dedicated herself to helping others. She also spends a significant amount of time volunteering with the Ronald McDonald House, which is Alpha Delta Pi’s philanthropy. Ronald McDonald House provides support to the families of children with serious illness. Maggie explains that even being able to do one small good deed for someone, no matter how small, is what drives her to continue, “It allowed me to learn how to work with the patients' families, not just the patients.”
During her senior year of high school, Maggie was involved in a car accident that left her with epilepsy. Rather than allowing this diagnosis to keep her down, Maggie got involved in the epilepsy community by joining the Florida Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation. Through the foundation, she works with younger kids with epilepsy to provide them a space to talk about the condition. Additionally, she focuses on organizing awareness campaigns and getting bills passed to help the epileptic community. Rather than dwelling over her situation she says that it, “Made me stronger, it made me learn how to adapt when new things happen.”
Through all of her extracurriculars and schoolwork, Maggie still always finds time for her home at Alpha Delta Pi. She explains that ever since her freshman year, whenever she needed a space to relax and just be herself, ADPi and their chapter women were there for her. “It has been that escape from all the stressful parts of college.”
All of this does not even begin to scratch the surface of Maggie. She is constantly working to help others and give herself to those around her. Even as she applies to medical schools nation-wide, Maggie continues to volunteer and work to benefit her community as much as she can. Maggie said, “I just love helping people,” and it is evident she will never stop.