Three students receive ‘Spirit of Service’

Three Huntington County students will be advancing their education in healthcare with help from a $1,500 scholarship from the Parkview Huntington Foundation.

Olivia Hartup, Andrew Szelis and Elizabeth Clark were recently awarded the Parkview Huntington Hospital Spirit of Service scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to Huntington County students pursuing post-secondary education in a healthcare-related field of study at any accredited institution of higher learning or technical training, as well as students residing outside Huntington County who are enrolled at Huntington University.

The Spirit of Service scholarship was initially funded by a portion of a legacy gift from the Parkview Huntington Hospital Guild, which ceased operations in 2018.

“The Huntington Spirit of Service scholarship is presented to students who truly exemplify the spirit of service in their communities,” said Alyssa Noble, development coordinator for the Parkview Huntington Foundation. “These individuals take time out of their schedules to volunteer at local non-profit organizations on top of extracurricular activities and their studies. These scholarships are made possible through the Parkview Huntington Hospital Gift Shop, and proceeds from gift shop sales are given to the Spirit of Service Scholarship Fund. We are grateful for the opportunity to award these scholarships to three very deserving students in our community.”

“With the continued growth in healthcare careers, we are honored to provide internships and support these scholarships for outstanding young people pursuing the call to serve others in the field,” said Doug Selig, market president, Parkview Health South.

Hartup is studying chemistry/pre-med at Trine University and will be interning this summer at Parkview Huntington Hospital. Hartup grew up in a family of missionaries and has taken a hands-on role in medicine abroad. She became a certified doula at 14 years old. Because she is fluent in Spanish, Hartup plans to attend medical school and use her skills to treat underserved Spanish-speaking patients both in local communities and abroad.

Szelis is pursuing a biology/pre-physician assistant degree at Trine University. He completed an internship at Parkview Huntington Hospital during his junior year of high school in order to test whether medicine would be the right future for him. His experience working closely with Parkview doctors in departments including surgery and the Family Birthing Center solidified his plans to pursue a medical degree. Szelis also plans to focus on Spanish language studies to better communicate with and treat Spanish-speaking patients.

Clark is majoring in nursing at Huntington University (HU) and will graduate in the Class of 2024. With one younger brother who has a congenital heart defect and another with an autism spectrum disorder, Clark’s interest in medicine started early as she came into contact with the many healthcare workers who helped care for her siblings. Since enrolling in HU’s nursing program, she also recently served at a summer camp for children and adults with disabilities and worked closely with many of the more medically complex campers.

For more information about the Spirit of Service scholarship, visit www.parkview.com/SpiritScholarship.