作者:大卫·辛普森

Antra Patel was a little nervous last September when she took her seat at the table with bet8体育娱乐入口’s Board of 访问ors.

It was her first meeting as the student representative on the powerful board, which controls spending and all rules and regulations for the University.

She listened as the members talked business.

"I had a lot of thoughts running through my head,” she recalled recently. “I wanted to make the most of my experience and really connect with the board.”

帕特尔站起来发言. Using a PowerPoint, she introduced herself and her initiatives. When she finished, the room broke into applause.

It was, 她说, “a very, very warm welcome.”

后来，她和董事会一起吃午饭.

“All the members were very interested in what I was doing – and in seeing the students through my voice, 在理想的情况下.”

A senior biomedical sciences major on a pre-med track, Patel is serving a one-year term as a non-voting BOV member. 她喜欢这个角色, saying she wants to be “a bridge to connect the board to the authentic student experience.”

此外, her status gives her a platform for advancing her agenda in speaking engagements around campus.

她的优先事项包括增加:

  • 学生参与
  • 学生领导角色的意识
  • 毕业后参与
  • 参与ODU的食品分发活动

Patel has focused especially on bolstering food security on campus. Toward that end, she has been meeting with Jenn Grimm, director of academic initiatives in 学生参与 and Enrollment 服务s (SEES), and other leaders to brainstorm options.

“Antra has been a wonderful advocate for addressing food insecurity on campus and in our community,格林说。. “She is passionate about making sure students are aware of valuable resources to help them stay fed, 像ODU的 君主储藏室 和 Foodbank of Southeastern 维吉尼亚州 和 Eastern Shore，我们非常感谢她的支持.”

Board of 访问ors members likewise appreciate Patel.

“She sets the standard for all ODU students to aspire to,” said R. 布鲁斯·布拉德利，董事会主席. “She’s hardworking, she’s smart and she’s humble.”

Dr. Armistead威廉姆斯, a neurology specialist and Board of 访问ors member who has been part of the food security discussions, said he has been impressed by Patel’s energy and intelligence.

“She has a way of getting things done despite the time commitment to her studies and her research,他说. “她有一种存在感, communicates well and can make a presentation to the board without reading from notes.” 

她能把事情做好，这是肯定的. Besides her Board of 访问ors responsibilities, she founded and presides over ODU’s chapter of HOSA (健康 Occupations Students of America). 她是see领导委员会的成员. 她是公民学者俱乐部的成员. She has served as a Campus Ambassador and peer mentor.

Her scholarly work at ODU has led to poster presentations at conferences, 她说, 以及即将出版的出版物. 

更重要的是, she works at a dermatology office as a medical assistant and scribe and has volunteered for CHKD, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center 和 Chesapeake Sleep Center.

That’s not to mention studying 12 hours a day over winter break for her Medical College 入学 Test.

“Antra is an exceptionally motivated student who both accepts and issues challenges to better serve Monarch Nation,梅兰妮·格雷厄姆说, see特别项目主任.

Patel was born in Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat. Her family moved to the United States when she was 9 months old – first living in Connecticut and a few years later settling in Chesapeake, 维吉尼亚州.

“Ever since I was young, I've always wanted to be a pilot, an architect or a doctor,”她说。.

“然而，医学领域对我很有吸引力.”

When a family member became ill, Patel visited the hospital often. 那里的医务人员给她留下了深刻的印象.

“The providers made us feel constant engagement and support,”她说。. “这真的激发了我的兴趣.”

Her attraction to the field deepened when she gained acceptance into the Science and Medicine Academy at Deep Creek High School.

Through that program, “I was able to dip my feet into the medical side of education,”她说。. “And then higher education early on solidified my interest.”

在她五月份毕业之后, she plans to work in the medical field for a year, 也许是从事研究工作, travel and devote time to personal projects before starting medical school in fall 2024.

Patel will attend her last quarterly Board of 访问ors meeting as student representative in April. 她满怀深情地回顾她的任期.

“Through this experience I feel more connected to the Old Dominion family, and I will continue to serve the ODU community even after my time here,”她说。. “I am beyond grateful to have been granted the honor of serving on the board.”