Natalie M. Setterberg
Michigan Marching Band
Joining the Michigan Marching Band has been one of the best decisions of my college career. It has given me so many opportunities and taught me valuable life skills in the two years that I have been a member. As a member, I not only improved my muscial talents and marching ability, but also helped develop skills that I use in the classroom and in my daily life. With 405 members of the band, not every member gets to march every game. Each member is encouraged to try and their best and continually improve until they get desired results. The marching band is one of the most phsycially and mentally draining activities that I have ever done. From the moment that I stepped on the field of the Big House, I have had the drive and determination to never give up towards my ultimate goal of marching in a pregame show. Marching band is time consuming, but it has taught me to manage my time extremely well.
Volunteering at Toledo Medical Center & Shadowing a Pediatric Oncologist
During my freshman year of undergrad, I had the opportunity to shadow a pediatric oncologist for a few days. The time that I spent with the doctor allowed me to get a feel for what the work environment is really like. It was a great learning experience and I was able to learn both the positives and negatives of being a pediatric oncologist. Commonly, when I tell people that I am interested in becoming a pediatric oncologist, people say, "I would never want to do that" or "It takes a special person to handle that". I believe that I could serve children in serious need and their families by helping them through the process in any way possible. It would be my goal to go above and beyond just treating the patients to make sure they are comfortable during such a difficult time.
Volunteering at the hospital over the summer also made me realize how much I enjoy helping patients when they are not in the best condition. Whether it was showing them to their appointment, registering them, or getting them a cup of coffee, I feel as if I was able to positively impact their experience at the hospital. That being said, I also realized how important every staff member is at the hospital from the receptionist to the janitor, to the doctor. Every person interacts with the patient in some way or another and it extremely important to have positive people in the workplace. It would be a goal of mine to make sure that every member of my staff would always have a positive impact on every patient that walks through the door.
