Amelia Suhocki
Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate motto is a guiding philosophy for many students and alumni. Did it have an impact on your student experience and has it influenced your plans for the future?
The motto Pro Humanitate is reflected in the opportunities on campus for students to be involved in service for the broader Winston-Salem community. Along with many other Wake students, I have been active in volunteering at the Community Care Center, a free health clinic in Winston-Salem. I think being able to find community with other Wake students through volunteerism has been important to finding a sense of belonging at Wake. I hope to carry the Pro Humanitate motto in my future profession and volunteering.
What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?
My favorite class outside my major was a Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies class entitled “A Politics of Care In Our Work Toward Justice.” The course explored how healing and community relates to transformative social justice, which appealed to me because of my interests in public health and medicine.
Wake Forest has lots of traditions, and sometimes students create their own. Do you have a favorite Wake Forest tradition?
My favorite tradition started by the WFU World Tea Association is taking a day-trip to Asheville, North Carolina each year to enjoy tea and explore the lively downtown.
What was the most rewarding experience you had as a Wake Forest student?
The ability to do research as an undergraduate was incredibly rewarding, as I was exposed to techniques and information that supplemented my understanding from lectures. During my time at Wake, I was in the Ma Lab at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and the Di Vittorio Lab at Wake Downtown.
Compare your career plans as a first-year student with your career plans now. Why did your plans change or not change?
My career plans have not changed since I was a first year student, but my path to achieving this goal has changed. After graduation, I am planning on attending medical school to become a physician. When I was a first year student, I had intended to attend medical school immediately after college. Now, I have decided to work for one year at Duke University as a clinical research technician after graduation. This allows me to gain more work experience before entering medical school.