Senior Lauren Hall (second from left) received a scholarship from Augusta Health’s Medical Laboratory Sciences Scholarship Fund that allows students to advance their careers in a role inside local labs.
Mary Baldwin University senior Lauren Hall was named as one of two recipients of a scholarship that allows students to advance their careers in a role inside local labs.
The scholarship is administered by the Augusta Health School of Medical Laboratory Science and is awarded in memory of Kathy Miller, who served as the hematology supervisor instructor and the school’s first education coordinator.
Responsible for performing scientific tests on samples and reporting results to physicians, laboratory scientists are an important part of any healthcare institution, and Mary Baldwin and Augusta Health are both working to train a capable class of technicians for the future.
Hall came to MBU from Hampton and has always been interested in lab science. In fact, she chose the university especially for its clinical laboratory science program.
“Not a lot of schools have a program like this,” she said. “Many have very large lab programs, but at Mary Baldwin, I felt like I got to learn more hands-on.”
After arriving in Staunton, Hall became even more sure that this was the path for her.
“After taking the required classes, I knew this is what I wanted to do,” she said. “I really enjoyed taking the labs — they were so fun.”
But while having fun in the classroom, Hall was also preparing for the exciting opportunities awaiting her.
Last summer, Hall got the news that she received the Augusta Health scholarship, allowing her to finish her collegiate studies with 1,500 hours in a working lab environment at the Augusta Health School of Medical Laboratory Science.
In addition to educational support, her new program assures two years of employment in the labs at Augusta Health in return for the scholarship.
Hall credits MBU for getting her prepared to step straight into a professional environment, and is especially appreciative of the support she received from her advisors, Dr. Paul Deeble, associate dean and director of the school of science, and Dr. Rebecca Haberman, associate professor of biology.
“I got a lot of experience, especially with my senior thesis, that a lot of my classmates [at Augusta Health] never got to do,” she said. “While finishing my biology major, I logged 100 hours in the lab working on my thesis and learned so much by getting to work closely with my advisors.”
Overall, Hall is thankful that the opportunities available at MBU, along with her considerable effort, have yielded this position. She considers the result more than an education — her time at Mary Baldwin has enabled her lifelong passion and granted security in her future.
“I’m very happy to have a guaranteed job when I graduate,” she said.