1. Brittany Beach
Project YES! Staff Intern
Reflection Essay: Mentor Project
When I started this project, I knew what I wanted to do. I have been certain
about being a doctor for most of my life. I became even more certain when I babysat
child with a Congenital Heart Defect. The first time I ever babysat him, it was scary
experience. But, I knew that kids like him were worth the schooling and money.
From this moment on, I wanted to be a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. I wanted to
shadow a doctor at a hospital for my project, but I knew that would be hard to do
with a doctor’s schedule. I contacted hospitals in my university’s area and was lucky
to have found a nurse that would allow me to shadow her on the pediatric in patient
floor. Then, a couple of days before I started my project, I emailed her to make sure
thing were okay to continue for paperwork and etc. She informed me that she could
no longer allow me to shadow her. I was upset and worried this project would not
ever get picked up.
I decided to try to volunteer at the hospital and to trust God would help me
figure the rest out. The project was a mess and I was seriously worried. I was
volunteering at the hospital and I was in my third year of college at a brand- new
university 1,500 miles away from home. I got involved in an organization for
PreMed students called Alpha Epsilon Delta or AED. I had a great semester with
them and stopped the search for a mentor. I was volunteering just about every week
with Habitat for Humanity or a 5K run for the various hospitals around the
university. But, one day in November I realized that I needed a mentor to help me fill
out the paperwork so I called my mom and told her what was going on. I told my
mom, how I wish I had someone like Mrs. Kari, our next-door neighbor and my

2. Brittany Beach
Project YES! Staff Intern
Reflection Essay: Mentor Project
mom’s friend. My mom said, why not ask her? Turns out, it was the best thing I ever
did. I had the easiest time with my project after finding Kari as my mentor. The
project did not go how I wanted it to go in the beginning, but it was definitely a
project that I learned a lot from.
My first semester, I shadowed a state renowned facial plastic surgeon in
surgery at his practice in Orange Beach, AL. I loved every moment of this shadowing
experience. I saw Dr. McCollough interact with patients in their post surgery visits.
He showed a group of us, his plastic surgery clinic. It was also at this time, we later
watched a surgery he was performing, where we asked questions and met his other
physicians. It was my first-time shadowing and was all made possible by my
participation in AED. In conjunction with AED, I was also volunteering my time at
the Children & Women’s Hospital, working the Treehouse. The Treehouse is a place
for younger kids comes to play games, play with toys, and let out some of the energy.
I will occasional see parents come and get movies for their child as we house an
extensive movie area from A-Z. The hospital I volunteer at, doesn’t only have a
Treehouse, they have a Class Act. ClassAct is for older kids in school or kids who like
to do art projects. They are the creative people; I have worked in ClassAct a couple
of times. It is a busy room.
Through my first semester, I was seriously depressed but the only thing that
kept me going were my monthly trips to a yellow ribbon event. I had friends and a
family that were so supporting. I didn’t do to well on my grades, but this second
semester, has been very redeeming. I momentarily changed my major to Leisure

3. Brittany Beach
Project YES! Staff Intern
Reflection Essay: Mentor Project
Studies with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation; because of my first
semester’s final grades and because of the volunteering work I was doing at the
hospital with my Child Life Specialists. I didn’t want to change my major in the
beginning, but maybe I was meant to do something else. So, I gathered information
from my mentor and we looked. I met with a career counselor and I knew that I
really wanted to go back to PreMed after I did, so I did.
I got a car and have been able to do even more shadowing lately. I was able to
shadow a pediatric cardiologist. A field I considered entering. The experience was
so incredible that I knew this doctor life was for me. I was allowed to meet the
doctor’s resident who allowed me to listen to a child’s heart. I got to hear the
difference between an infant and a teenager heartbeat. I got to hear a murmur in a
child’s heart, as well as, learn to read an echo of a child’s heart.
As far as school goes, second semester has been tough, but the grades are
better. I definitely struggled that first semester and if I could do this project
differently, I would but I definitely would not change the amazing people I did it
with. I want to thank my mentor, Kari Laudenslager, the incredible Project YES!
Interns who gave me advice, and lastly, the kids I met during my time at the hospital.
I am so happy to be a Project YES! Staff Intern. I may not be returning to YES, but
these moments and experiences will always be with me.