Stetson’s first-ever AdventHealth Day kicked off this past Tuesday with the AdventHealth Scholar Breakfast, where Stetson students who received scholarships funded by AdventHealth met with leaders from both the university and the hospital, including newly announced AdventHealth DeLand CEO Tim Williams.

He told the students what a blessing it is to serve at the hospital where he interned 25 years ago. “You never know what doors are going to open and what opportunities will be presented to you on your journey,” said Williams. “Keep experimenting, be open to possibilities and keep trying new things because they will add value to your story as you move forward. I couldn’t be happier to help grow the next generation of healthcare workers with Stetson and provide opportunities for students to join us in serving the community together.”

Hands-On, Relationship-Rich Experiences

Throughout the day students across multiple majors attended pop-up events and networking events to learn about jobs, shadowing, volunteer opportunities and expanded internships in not only healthcare but also finance, IT and marketing. John B. was on hand for photos with AdventHealth’s official NASCAR race car, students enjoyed the chef-prepared food from AdventHealth’s Food and Nutrition Services and experts visited multiple classrooms to enhance what students are learning in the classroom with real-world examples and experiences.

AdventHealth Student Scholar Autumn Thompson said, “Being in the AdventHealth Scholar program has given me in-depth, hands-on learning as an intern. I’ve met so many wonderful people at AdventHealth and built great connections.” Thompson is a senior biology major who credits the scholar and internship opportunities with helping her decide on her future path as a dietitian.

One of the best parts of the day for student Logridio Telallari was learning about all the opportunities offered through the Hatter Ready program which takes students deep into immersive, hands-on, real-world experiences to prepare for successful careers.

“What makes Stetson and AdventHealth’s relationship so powerful is the ability to have their physicians and executives visiting our campus, bringing their amazing surgical robot with them, hosting our interns and sharing information about jobs, shadowing, internships and so much more,” said Liz Connor, Director of Career Success at Stetson. “It’s an amazing, relationship-rich experience for our Hatters.”

Da Vinci Robot 5 Pop-Up Event

At the da Vinci Robot 5 pop-up event, students were able to speak directly with Tom Allen, a clinical technology specialist from Intuitive Surgical, the maker of the da Vinci. On most days, he can be found alongside surgeons, helping guide them in the operating room as an expert on the device. This made him a great source of information for students.

“What I found most interesting about AdventHealth coming to campus was having the opportunity to use the da Vinci surgical machine. I had never experienced anything like that,” said Joella Weinstein, a pre-med student at studying molecular and cellular biology as well as public health. “I want to go into ophthalmology and eye surgery, so practicing these small, precise movements was really cool and a great experience for my future in medical school.”

AdventHealth provides student health services, scholarships, internships and certifications to Stetson students and is a proud sponsor of Stetson Athletics.

– Deb Lovett