糖心Vlog传媒 student gains hands-on medical experience during micro-fellowship
Delani Patterson 鈥25, a student-designed public health major and Africana studies minor at 糖心Vlog传媒, served as a health assistant at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, a Michigan-based summer camp, this past summer.听The position allowed Patterson to combine her听passion for听healthcare while听supporting others in a creative, community-centered environment.听Throughout听the Micro Fellowship,听Patterson听provided hands-on care听and听performed听medical assessments听for the campers and staff at Blue Lake,听getting听closer听to working in the medical field.听
鈥淭his experience helped me realize that I am tougher than I previously thought.鈥听
鈥 Delani Patterson 鈥25听
FINDING OPPORTUNITIES听
I鈥檓听also a听part of the听public听health听pathway program at 糖心Vlog传媒, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp was one of the possible experiential learning opportunities听recommended听to me by the program.听I told one of my professors about the job opportunity, and she recommended that I apply for the Micro Fellowship.听While the experience was tough,听both听mentally听and physically,听it taught me a lot about myself and allowed me to grow听in multiple听ways. The听exercises that the Micro Fellowship had me complete before and during the opportunity helped me recognize which skills I developed and听expanded听during the experience.听
LESSONS LEARNED听
I learned about the importance of transferring knowledge. While I did go through training, this year at camp was unique due to some of the illnesses that were being seen.听My supervisors, Karin and听Chiamaka, co-directors at the lodge, guided me, and the other health assistants, with their听previous听experience as health assistants for different treatments and situations. However, because of the unique health circumstances the camp experienced this summer, we all had to use our听previous听personal experiences听to help us through tough situations.听
EXPANDED PERSPECTIVE听
I loved being able to bounce between听different roles听within the lodge and work with my coworkers to create unique care plans for patients. Each day, I听alternated听taking treatments for campers and staff, working at the front desk听to check听patients in,听checking听and distributing medications that were brought by campers, and听monitoring听the admitted patients in the lodge.听听
WHAT鈥橲 NEXT听
This experience helped me realize that I am tougher than I previously thought. Due to the mental and physical toughness of the environment, the team found the experience听to be one听we all struggled to finish. However, we all worked together to motivate each other and create plans听for听unexpected听situations.听This job helped me realize that I enjoy and want to continue to work听in听a team environment where we work together to听serve听and advocate for听members in the community.听
Featured image: Delani Patterson 鈥25 completed an APEX Micro Fellowship at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp over the summer. Photo provided by subject.
Posted in Experiential Learning, Showcase Stories 2025 on August 6, 2025.
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