Student Finds Achievement Through Volunteerism
Evelyn Thomas ’25 has a drive that can be matched only by her willingness to serve and help others.
When looking at places to further her education, Thomas saw a lot of her own values reflected in Marywood's mission, core values, and the people on campus who strive to live according to those ideals.
For Thomas, Marywood’s strength lay not in its numbers, but in its close-knit community committed to providing the best student experience possible.
“Marywood is a small community but a strong one. The small class size is what attracted me to Marywood, and it helped me focus more and have close interaction with the teachers,” said Thomas.
Hailing from Sugar Land, Texas, Thomas was able to feel right at home despite being half the country away from the Lone Star State.
“(My favorite part about the campus is how) everybody is very friendly and helpful. I enjoy the welcoming environment that Marywood offers.”
Thomas is committed to serving her community. For her, becoming a Physician’s Assistant provides the perfect opportunity to provide people with a meaningful service every day. She has set her sights on attaining that goal.
“I want to get accepted (into) Marywood’s PA Master’s program and have a career as a Physician Assistant. Following that, I want to focus on giving back to the community with the profession I chose,” said Thomas.
Thomas is certainly on track to achieve both her career-related and service-related goals. Her record in both areas during her young Marywood tenure is already staggering.
“During the Fall semester of 2021, I was able to receive a 4.0 GPA.. which I believe is one of my greatest accomplishments after coming to Marywood,” said Thomas. “I was also able to volunteer in various programs on the campus which was enlightening.”
Thomas said that she owes part of her academic success to the strong support she receives from the Marywood community.
“Everybody at Marywood was very warm and welcoming from the beginning of my time here and so many people have helped me tackle the obstacles I was facing during the initial time (I was at Marywood.) I was able to receive many (words of wisdom) from various employees at Marywood,” said Thomas.
One of the greatest lessons she has learned at Marywood is that “Sharing a smile with someone can make their day.”
Outside of the classroom, Evelyn is able to share smiles with plenty of fellow Pacers through her involvement with several clubs and organizations.
“I enjoy every moment I spend on the campus. I am part of various clubs like Pre-PA Club, Delight Ministries, Volunteers in Action, and Student Alumni Association. All these clubs have helped me grow as a person. It also helped me to grow my connections with others.”
As Thomas is pursuing her dreams of serving others as a Physician’s Assistant, broadening her horizons through membership in several clubs and organizations, and serving others through volunteerism, it is not lost on her that donor support is an important part of her being able to enjoy these experiences.
“Every donation that alumni and donors have (made to) Marywood University has helped the student with various needs. These donations and the time the donors have (given to) Marywood are immensely appreciated.”
Thomas’ Marywood career is young, but already one that exemplifies the Marywood mission and core values.