Alumni return to share insights with students
In an inspiring new initiative, USN's health care career spotlight, organized by Ruchika Ramachandran ’27 and Yvonne Wang ’27, brought a wealth of alumni back to the school for an evening of shared expertise and personal stories. This first-of-its-kind event was a great example of the power of connection, mentorship, and community evident throughout the USN community.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
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Alumni have been returning to 2000 Edgehill in droves this school year, speaking with students in classes like art, government, and even personal finance.
With alumni around the building willing to lend a hand, Ruchika Ramachandran ’27 and Yvonne Wang ’27 used their shared passion for health care careers and a desire to help current students envision the possibilities within the field to plan out the first-ever health care career spotlight.
As part of USN’s Science Olympiad team, the two students are already deeply immersed in the world of science and medicine, with hopes of pursuing careers in health care themselves.
The spotlight helped them gain insight into the process between graduating from high school and becoming a medical professional. It also helped them assess which health care fields would be best suited for them, depending on quality traits and skills.
“We hoped that students would gain more insight into the diversity of the health care profession by talking to a variety of alumni in various specialties within the field,” Yvonne said. “We also wanted students to connect with alumni about personal experiences at USN and learn about each alumni’s path into health care.”
The event brought together an impressive roster of alumni who are excelling in various health care fields, including pediatrics, cardiology, and internal medicine. Alumni were invited to discuss their professional journeys, share personal insights, and answer questions from students. The lineup included:
Monica Walls Campbell ’93, Physical Therapist
Sujana Reddy ’95, Rheumatologist
Richa Misra ’96, Internal Medicine
Sri Reddy ’97, Pediatric Anesthesiologist
Dru Bredesen ’98, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Behin Barahimi ’99, Ophthalmologist
Heather Scott ’99, Nurse and Integrative Health
Vineet Mishra ’00, Dermatologist
Stephen Schleicher ’01, Oncologist
Kim Sandler Rhodes ’01, Radiology
Daniel Sacks ’03, Otolaryngologist
Carla Sandler-Wilson ’04, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Sarah Yazdian Rubin ’04, Child Life Specialist/Art Therapist
Hannah L. Fish-Trotter ’05, Cardiologist
Ryan Starnes ’05, Health Care Administration
Jillian Berman ’08, Neurologist
Victoria Stabile ’09, Anesthesiologist
Aaron Yazdian ’10, Gastroenterologist
“This is a brand-new event for USN, and we’re so excited to see it come to life,” said Alumni Director Christina Evans. “It’s a testament to the creativity, vision, and initiative that our students demonstrate regularly. This is exactly the type of event that makes USN such a special community — where students take the lead and create opportunities for themselves and their peers.”
Each alumnus shared stories, from their USN years to their education and eventual careers, highlighting the variety of paths that health care professionals can take.
“Bringing alumni back onto campus to inspire the next generation was special and meaningful because some of them had not returned to campus in 10 to 20 years,” Ruichika said. “It was also fun watching alumni reflect on their time at USN, and reminisce about decisions, clubs, and choices they made while attending the school.”
Ruchika and Yvonne spent weeks planning the event, recruiting a team of students to help moderate and facilitate the discussions, while Evans reached out to the alumni to come back and share their story.
“It speaks volumes about the strength of the USN community. Our alumni return because they still feel deeply connected to this place and to the people who helped shape them,” said Evans. “There’s a real sense of gratitude and belonging that brings them back, and events like this highlight how those relationships continue long after graduation.”
In addition to gaining valuable career insights, students had the chance to connect with alumni who could provide mentorship or shadowing opportunities.
“There’s something powerful about hearing directly from someone who once walked the same halls. It helps students see the potential in their own futures,” said Evans.
The health care career spotlight is just one of several events that have USN alumni speaking to current students, and Evans hopes that it will serve as a springboard for similar events in the future.
“This is the first of what we hope will be many such events,” said Evans. “We want to create more opportunities for students to connect with alumni across all professions and industries.”
In addition to this event, alumni have graced the halls of USN throughout the year, presenting lunch and learns and speaking with different classes.
Yazdian appreciates the school for creating these opportunities, both for alumni and students.
As students navigate their future career paths in college and beyond, Yazdian believes that building relationships and hearing different perspectives is key.
“Hearing from alumni allows students to understand there is not just one way to approach their career,” said Yazdian. “ It also gives them a realistic view of how hard these industries can be and offers different views that they may not be used to hearing.”
“Events like this show me that USN cares about the opinions of alumni and creating a future network for students to see where people from USN will go,” said Yazdian.
While many alumni will continue to return to USN to share their experiences with students, Ruchika and Yvonne are already looking forward to next year’s event, with hopes of strengthening the connections that were formed this year.
“The best part of the event was watching students and alumni connect on a personal level in the Durnan Auditorium. During the one-on-one conversations, both students and alumni were seen talking, laughing, and relating to each other’s experiences,” said Ruchika. “In some instances, it was similar to looking through a mirror, or a projection of students’ future embodied by alumni.”
The evening offered students new perspectives on the opportunities that await them in the world of health care and represented the connection between alumni and the school.
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Alumni return to share insights with students
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Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.