Being a college student is an adventure in itself, but it’s not until Canvas is closed and summer break plans are in full swing that the real adventure begins. If you thought summer break was for relaxation, take a look at what some Vols got up to this summer and think again.
Bailey Grunow — a sophomore majoring in neuroscience and psychology on the pre-med track — completed an EMT certification through her local community college, Illinois Central College. It was important for Grunow to get this experience early, taking one step toward her goal of working in the pre-med field while still an undergraduate.
“I chose EMT because I wanted to be there for people at their worst,” Grunow said. “You aren’t calling 911 on the best day of your life, and as someone who has had medical problems before, I wanted to do everything I could to reassure and help people during those times.”
Sophomore Bailey Grunow packs her bags for a clinical shift toward her EMT certification.
The class structure was not your typical community college summer class. Grunow’s class met twice a week for eight hours, featuring a combined lab and lecture period.
Another requirement for Grunow’s license was the completion of clinical shifts. These shifts included two 12-hour ambulance shifts and one eight-hour emergency room shift. Clinicals provided a hands-on opportunity to apply the course content and were one of Grunow’s most valuable experiences throughout the program.
It’s difficult enough to cram a vast array of medical knowledge into one semester, but even more so to learn it over a ten-week program. The time constraint forced Grunow to apply herself outside the classroom.
“I spent at least 40 hours a week outside of class studying,” Grunow said. “But to be fair, once you started treating patients during your clinicals and during patient scenarios that you would do in class, it got easier.”
Despite the challenge and pressure Grunow faced, the program confirmed that she is on the path she is meant to be on.
“What surprised me the most was how much I thought about patients after we either dropped them off or they left the hospital,” Grunow said. “I came home after one of my shifts thinking about an elderly woman that I helped treat and just prayed that she was doing better. It gets kind of heavy, but I also know that feeling that way means I genuinely care and I’m meant to be in this field.”
Even post-grad summer has its academic adventures. Savannah Jobkar — a first-year PhD student studying biosystems engineering — spent her summer in Toronto, Canada, as she attended the international conference for the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. ASABE is a professional organization for engineers, scientists and students looking to apply engineering and technology principles to the agricultural field.
PhD student Savannah Jobkar presents her master's thesis at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers conference in Toronto.
“ASABE has opened so many doors for me, giving me opportunities to make invaluable connections, expand my knowledge and experience places I may have never visited otherwise,” Jobkar said.
At the conference, Jobkar presented her master’s thesis research on mapping poultry and animal feeding operations in Tennessee using remote sensing and deep learning.
While she was there primarily as a scholar, Jobkar also had the opportunity to be a tourist and explore all facets of Toronto. When asked to describe her city experience, “full of life,” “energy” and “beauty” were among the top words to capture the atmosphere.
“I explored the city from end to end, enjoyed Michelin-star dining (PAI was my favorite), took the ferry to the islands to enjoy Lake Ontario and spent evenings out with my colleagues,” Jobkar said.
While Grunow and Jobkar challenged themselves intellectually, Josh Malloy — a sophomore majoring in psychology and philosophy — challenged himself physically. Malloy and his dad spent the summer biking the entirety of the state of Iowa with the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa group.
Sophomore Josh Malloy and his dad celebrate their 406-mile summer bike trek across the state of Iowa.
According to their website, RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world. This summer, RAGBRAI hosted its 52nd annual event.
If a casual bike trek comes to mind, think again. This 406-mile-long seven-day excursion presents strenuous challenges and conditions not for the faint of heart. Some participants even have to quit midway through because of the difficulty.
“You face horrible weather, atrocious sleeping conditions and a genuinely hard route,” Malloy said. “This year was especially hard due to a strong headwind. They had to bring in local school buses and semis to rescue riders who couldn’t make it.”
While others may question why would anyone want to do that to themselves, that’s just what attracts Malloy. But beyond the surging rush of adrenaline, it’s the unexpectedness of the trip and the people that truly make it an adventure.
“It’s weird and wild and challenging,” Malloy said. “You’ll meet the weirdest and friendliest people you’ll ever find. People from all walks of life and nations are there. I rode with a student from UT Chattanooga one day and a professor from a random community college in Iowa the next.”
Aside from the fellow travelers met along the way, Malloy’s number one adventure partner who has never left his side has been his dad. The duo didn’t start this tradition until just last year, but have found that they have grown closer because of it. Nothing quite screams father-son bonding like biking through the rain or sharing a tent in the middle of Iowa.
“Setting up a tent in the blistering heat and pouring rain for a week is a test of relationship,” Malloy said. “Doing that after biking over 100 miles some days is a real challenge. I definitely get closer to him every year I go, and that’s half the reason I do.”
It often goes unnoticed how our summer experiences shape us by the time classes roll back around this time of year in the fall. Be it high-pressure situations with a life in hand, sharing your passion with like-minded colleagues in a professional setting, or even pushing your body to the limit on a biking trip, every goal accomplished over the summer translates to the collegiate journey.
