Spring 2019 #USIGrad stories (Part 2)
April 26, 2019
Muhanad Almoneef '19, International Student Representative
Through his studies at USI, Muhanad Almoneef '19 discovered he could use telemedicine technology to help shorten the waitlist of patient appointments. Before coming to USI, he worked as a cardiac sonography tech in Saudi Arabia, where he earned a scholarship from his employer to come to the United States to enroll in USI's Health Informatics and Information Management Program. He's met many friends and role models at USI, including West Tenbarge '14, who helped him hone his English, and Dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson, chair of health informatics and information management. Almoneef will miss his USI family, but he's anxious to be reunited with his wife. Back home, he plans to employ his knowledge to raise the quality of health care for his country's men and women.
This #USIGrad profile was written by Dana Tang '17 M'19, a graduate assistant in University Communications
Gabi Wy '19, College of Liberal Arts Reflection Speaker
Before she had set foot on campus as an official student, Gabi Wy '19, a triple major in journalism, criminal justice and psychology, was already telling USI's story as the news editor for @usishield - USI's student run newspaper. As she progressed academically, she also rose through the ranks of the student newspaper, and was well on her way to a future as an investigative reporter. However, while she was telling the stories of students and community members through her reporting, she found herself struggling to tell her own story. Thanks to her tenacious work habits and the support of faculty mentors and role models such as Dr. Martin Koen, assistant professor of criminal justice, Wy found a passion for research and a desire to understand why the criminal justice system worked the way it did. Now, following graduation, she'll be taking her three majors to the University of Maryland's top-ranked Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies PhD Program, along with the experience gained through her work and the memories of the stories, both hers and others, she was able to tell along the way.
This #USIGrad profile was written by Ben Luttrull, media relations specialist
Katelyn Earl '19, College of Nursing and Health Professions Reflection Speaker
Katelyn Earl '19 always knew she wanted to be a Screaming Eagle. "I'm from Carmi, Illinois, and my family and I would always come to Evansville to go shopping, and I always used to say, 'One day I'm going to go to USI,'" she says. After touring campus, Katelyn knew immediately that her college search was over. "Being able to see the campus in person and in full-bloom, and not just from the road driving in the car, really opened my eyes and showed me this is where I belong," she says. "The Climbing Center was also a huge deciding factor for me. In Carmi, you never get to experience things like that."
She was inspired by her father to pursue a degree in radiologic technology and imaging sciences. Her father, a Vietnam veteran, has seen his fair share of doctors' offices, and Katelyn has always been there to support him through his battles. She noticed that some of the hospitals and doctors' offices her father frequented were not giving the top-quality care people, especially veterans, deserved. "It pushed me to want to become a better practitioner for people like my dad, who have served our country, and for people who are not veterans," she explains. "People in general deserve better care."
Throughout her four years at USI, Katelyn has taken on a strenuous classwork load, and put in countless clinical hours, all while working three jobs-in St. Vincent's Nuclear Medicine Department, at the RFWC's Climbing Center and at Deaconess as an x-ray and CT aide. "I'm excited to graduate and hopefully go from three jobs to one," she laughs.
This #USIGrad profile was written by Kaylee Johnson '20, a student worker in University Communications