Service Trip Inspires Pre-Med Path
Senior set path after witnessing refugee plight
Kristen Hulbert ’18, a biology major, had her “a-ha” moment during a service trip to Greece spring break of her sophomore year. After spending a day packing clothes for Syrian refugees, she found herself at a relocation camp. Witnessing the plight of the refugees—their need of medical help and relocation assistance, Hulbert vowed to become a doctor.
“My heart went out to them,” she recalled. “It stirred emotion in me.”
She shared her plans with friends and her academic advisors. Medicine, she concluded, fits her skill set because “I like to solve puzzles, love teamwork and working with people.”
Kristen Hulbert ’18 visited Greece during sophomore year
Hulbert visited Greece during sophomore year
Hulbert visited Greece during sophomore year
A native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Hulbert was recruited to Elmhurst to play volleyball. She played her first year, then “I switched from being an athlete to focusing on my education and what I want to do with it.”
Hulbert stayed in touch with her sports side by joining Athletes in Action, a group of Christian athletes committed to service work. She has volunteered at an area hospice, visiting patients and “being there for the family.”
She also leads a volunteer group packing food crates at Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg. The team recently came close to winning bragging rights for packing the most boxes in a single session, she recalled. “The record is 47 and we packed 45.”
After graduation, Hulbert plans to take a gap year, “I’d love to travel,” and begin medical school in fall 2019. She aims to pair degrees in medicine and public health. “I have gifts, I have privilege,” she said. “I have to do something with this privilege.”