Yakima Rotary Award Scholarships to YVCC Students
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Above left: Alana Lautensleger in YVCC’s biology lab. Above right: Anna Hackenmiller works on a lab assignment during Dr. Mazhari’s chemistry class.
Students Take Advantage of YVCC Science Opportunities Yakima Valley Community College and the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) are creating opportunities for students of the Yakima Valley. Students who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-premedical field and want to become a physician have the option to take courses at YVCC that will satisfy prerequisites for entry to PNWU medical school. Anna Hackenmiller always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but was concerned about the time and money it would take to attend medical school. After high school, Anna attended Shoreline Community College and Eastern Washington University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. After working at Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic for several years, Anna decided that she could help more people as a doctor. “I’ve always had the ambition to become a doctor. As I got older, I realized that I still had the option of pursuing my dream, and learned that YVCC offered all of the prerequisite courses I needed,” stated Hackenmiller. In the summer of 2009, Anna enrolled at YVCC. “I feel like everything fell into place for me to pursue this degree. Being able to attend YVCC made the entire process tremendously easier. The small class size, location, and cost were huge factors in choosing to attend YVCC instead of a university. It was also beneficial to be able to meet with faculty during office hours. I would not have made the choice to return to school this late in life without YVCC offering this option for me,” she continued. Involved in campus life, Anna also helped establish a student Pre-Med Club and served as its president. She finished her coursework in the spring of 2011 and took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). “I am incredibly impressed with the level of academics of the science faculty at YVCC. I felt completely prepared for the MCAT test,” she concluded. Following the test, Anna was accepted to PNWU and will begin in August of 2012. She will graduate in 2016 and hopes to continue to work with the Farmworkers Clinic. Another student who is taking advantage of this opportunity is Alana Lautensleger. Completing her first quarter at YVCC, Alana is impressed with YVCC’s science program. A graduate of the University of Washington, Lautensleger holds two bachelor’s degrees; one in forest ecology and one in environmental studies. Working seasonally since graduation, Alana decided to return to school. She began exploring possibilities and realized that her love for science would help her in achieving a lifelong goal of attending medical school. “It didn’t make sense to go to a four-year school to take these courses when we have such an amazing science program right here at YVCC,” stated Lautensleger. “Taking courses at a community college is a better option for students because you can communicate more personally with faculty. If I were to take these courses at a university, I would be sitting in an auditorium full of students, which isn’t conducive to my learning style,” she continued. Once her prerequisite courses are completed, Alana plans to apply to medical school at PNWU. She hopes to work in the medical field in the Yakima Valley. For more information contact Dr. Mazhari; smazhari@yvcc.edu, 574.4887 or Dr. Shean; bshean@yvcc.edu, 574.4865 for advising.