When first-year student Adele Beleckaite ’28, ’30 MSPA, started looking at colleges during her senior year of high school, the one thing she knew for certain was that she wanted to study something related to health science. She just hadn’t been sure where to start. “Valpo wasn’t really on my radar at all, at the time,” she admits with a smile. “I had no idea where to look. Then, one of my sister’s friends from summer camp told me that she went to Valpo to be a physician assistant (PA). I hadn’t heard of that before, so I looked into it, and here I am!”
Adele was accepted directly into Valpo’s unique 3+2 pathway toward a master of science in physician assistant studies (MSPA), starting with a three-year bachelor of science in health science before moving directly into the two-year master’s program. Valpo’s direct entry into the MSPA program – combined with the fact that she’d be earning two degrees in just five years – made the College of Nursing and Health Professions especially appealing. After visiting campus on Admitted Student Day and acing her music scholarship audition, Adele knew she was in the place that would make her mind (and her heart) sing.. “At that point, I was thinking this all had to be a sign from God,” she says. “And now that I’ve lived here for a year and experienced it, it’s been awesome.”
From the beginning, Adele’s first year as a Beacon has been a promising trove of core memories – from meeting her roommate-turned-best friend Hannah Rojas ’28, ’30 MSPA, on ZeeMee to movie nights in Alumni Hall to trips to the Indiana Dunes National Park with her friends. She has served her community with the Social Action Leadership Team (SALT), made forever connections in her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, took the stage as a violinist in Valpo’s Symphony Orchestra and as part of dance ensemble, attended mass at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center, and was recently hired for her first campus job as an ambassador in admission (AIA).
The excitement followed her into the classroom, where she was met with small class sizes led by professors who knew her by name. “If I ever have a question or don’t understand something, I can always ask for help,” Adele says. “The health science program is really good about providing personal attention and care. There are a lot of different study resources they offer students – like [peer-assisted learning] (PAL) groups for Professor Beth Scaglione-Sewell’s, Ph.D., anatomy and physiology class and other classes, too. They really make sure you understand the course material.”
For Adele’s academic trajectory, the courses she takes as part of her undergraduate health science degree – like chemistry and social determinants of health – will springboard her directly into the specialized, hand-on classes and clinical experiences she’ll take as part of her MSPA program in a couple of years. “You start taking your more niche classes in your first year of PA school. You’ll get to use a lot of the cool simulation labs. …You can practice delivering babies and things like that on talking manikins,” Adele explains – referencing other interactive spaces, like Valpo’s holoanatomy lab. “Then, in your second year of PA school, you’ll do a series of five-week clinical rotations in different PA specialties – like dermatology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and more.” Right now, Adele is considering a specialization in women’s health, family medicine, or emergency medicine – each of which she’ll have the opportunity to first explore in her MSPA program. “And, you know, you can always try a different speciality if you want,” she adds. “If you want to work in emergency medicine for a year and then try something else, you can – without having to worry about getting extra certifications. As a PA, already certified in every aspect. That’s a big reason why I ultimately chose this career path!”
Another unique aspect of Adele’s first-year experience that’s helped her prepare for her future as a PA has been Christ College – The Honors College, an alternative to Valpo’s general education requirements that focuses on deeper thinking about the human experience. “Christ College is a different way of learning for sure. It encourages you to think more – to ask questions and speculate on things, and think about how to answer life’s questions. We’ll ask, ‘What is human flourishing?’ ‘What constitutes a good life?’ … It encourages you to think outside of the box,” Adele reflects. In her career, the values, morals, and ability to see the whole person she’s developed in Christ College will help her provide her patients with the best care possible. “I can ask myself what’s best for the patient, or how I should talk to them, and consider their perspectives and definitions of what’s good or bad,” she continues.
It’s an experience she would recommend to any student. “There are ideas that I learned about in Christ College that I had never heard of before, but now I can form my own opinions on,” Adele says. “I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to keep asking ‘Why?’ … And anyone who wants to make awesome friends with your classmates and grow closer to your peers in that way.”
If you see yourself in Adele – searching for a career path that helps others and challenging your worldview through life’s deeper questions – you’re only a few clicks away from following her footsteps. Discover your future in Christ College at valpo.edu/christ-college or Valpo’s health science program at valpo.edu/health-science.
