Awards and Honors: May 2024
Pictured from left on front row are HPU physical therapy students Sophie DeMichiel, Kaley Justus, Sarah Van Duser, Grace McKinney, Haleigh Scott and Mikala Richmond. Pictured from left on back row are HPU Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Christopher Zoch with PT students Jennifer Kale, Lila Campbell, Bridget Scaglione, Gabrielle Axson, Lexi Berry, Alexa Wong, Adam Nunez, Mackenzie Peacock, London McDaniel; Dr. Lauren McClellan, assistant professor of physical therapy and assistant director of clinical education; and Dr. Rebecca Medendorp, assistant professor of physical therapy and director of clinical education.
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 29, 2024 – High Point University students, faculty and staff recently received the following academic and professional awards.
Physical Therapy Students Treat Patients in Belize
Fifteen students and three faculty from HPU’s Department of Physical Therapy recently traveled to Belize to treat low-income patients. The number nearly doubled last year’s outreach, which included nine students and two faculty from the Congdon School of Health Sciences.
Dr. Rebecca Medendorp, assistant professor of physical therapy and director of clinical education, mentored students during the global learning experience that ran from April 24 to May 1. She was joined by Dr. Laureen McClellan, assistant professor of physical therapy and assistant director of clinical education, and Dr. Christopher Zoch, assistant professor of physical therapy.
Students were creative in evaluation and treatment of approximately 40 patients while working in a makeshift clinic with limited supplies and resources. They also treated two dozen patients at Octavia Waight, a nearby retirement home, Medendorp said. They learned about communication, empathy and patient care in the melting pot of cultures found in Belize.
“Global learning experiences like this help broaden the horizons of knowledge of how health care operates outside of our own country,” said Medendorp. “It makes us aware of good and potentially bad ways that health care systems can function, making us better able to advocate for health care reform in our own country. This kind of experience helps encourage future service-minded activities as they grow into professionals themselves.”
The trip allowed physical therapy students to have a unique multicultural experience and work with an underserved population with limited access to rehabilitation services, Zoch said.
“It provided an opportunity for interactions with people from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as well exposure to a different health care system than our own in the U.S.” said Zoch. “The students had the opportunity to put their classroom skills into practice while working with patients from a variety of cultural backgrounds. They had to exercise creativity to provide therapy services despite limited access to equipment and resources. The trip also provided a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that health care systems around the world face.”
Adam Nunez, a Class of 2025 physical therapy student from Dallas, Texas, said students sometimes lose sight of the “why” during such an intensive program.
“Traveling to Belize and witnessing the joy and gratitude we can bring was an important reminder of why we chose to pursue this profession,” Nunez said. “This unique opportunity allowed us to channel our own creativity by crafting interventions to treat a wide range of patients and their impairments. Here at High Point University, we are fortunate to have access to state-of-the-art equipment. Traveling to a country where this level of health care infrastructure is not readily available allowed us to translate our knowledge and skills from the classroom to the real world.”
Graduate Students Use National Grant to Help Homeless
Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI), a student organization in HPU’s Graduate Student Government Association, recently received the national CPFI’s Hands and Feet Grant. Students used the $750 grant to donate food and supplies to Open Door Ministries, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping people regain their lives through supportive services and emergency assistance.
CPFI members discovered homelessness is rising in High Point and requested a list of needs from Open Door Ministries. The HPU chapter donated 244 different canned foods, 481 washcloths and bath towels, and 176 hygiene products, including combs, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
“In receiving the Hands and Feet Grant, our CPFI chapter was able to come together in fellowship and service by going to Walmart and shopping for the necessary essentials that were needed by Open Door Ministries,” said Mykala Woods, HPU’s CPFI spokesperson. “We split the funds awarded to meet the needs of the ministry by purchasing $250 worth of towels and washcloths, $200 worth of hygiene products and $300 worth of canned foods to make the most of the grant. This project impacted us all and helped us stock the once-empty shelves of our local men’s shelter.”
The HPU chapter has repeatedly received the Hands and Feet Grant, Woods said. Last year, CPFI members donated baskets to NICU mothers at Cone Health Women and Children’s Center Family Services.
“I am grateful for the CPFI Hands and Feet Grant,” said Dr. Joy Greene, professor of pharmacy and associate dean for Experiential Education. “Students at the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy have an opportunity to give back to their community and to be a blessing to those in need. I am so proud of our students – they are servant leaders, and they are making a difference for Jesus in the Triad.”
HPU School of Nursing Dean Honored as Champion of Education
Dr. Racquel Ingram, founding dean of HPU’s Teresa Caine School of Nursing, recently was awarded the prestigious Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Foundation Simon G. Atkins Champion of Education Award, further solidifying her commitment to advancing education and nursing.
With a career spanning 28 years in nursing and 26 years in higher education, Ingram brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as dean. Her dedication to shaping the future of nursing education is evident through her various leadership roles, including past positions as chair of the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) and her involvement in the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) task force work group on Education and Career Progression. Ingram has led and contributed to multiple NCBON committees, aiding in regulatory processes and playing a pivotal role in shaping strategic planning outcomes.
Ingram’s recent selection to the National League for Nursing (NLN) Leadership Institute (LEAD) underscores her commitment to excellence in nursing education and practice. This prestigious program offers year-long leadership training, enhancing the skills of faculty, deans, directors, associate deans and nurse administrators.
Under Ingram’s leadership, the Teresa Caine School of Nursing has admitted its third cohort for the fall of 2024, marking yet another milestone in its journey toward excellence. Her experience and leadership in higher education have laid a strong foundation for the innovative nursing program at HPU, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to uphold the highest standards of nursing practice.
“The future of the HPU School of Nursing includes the establishment of graduate-level programs,” said Ingram. “Our vision is guided by four overarching goals: to equip students with the skills to address health disparities, meet the diverse needs of communities across the lifespan, provide exceptional nursing preparation and foster future leadership alongside graduate-level education. We emphasize evidence-based practices and interdisciplinary collaboration with other HPU campus programs to ensure our students receive the highest quality education.”
Ingram is committed to ensuring that the School of Nursing fulfills its mission within the institution’s broader goals. What began as a department of nursing has evolved into a full-fledged School of Nursing.
HPU Alumnus Publishes Real Estate Investment Book
HPU alumnus Steven Andrews has published a best-selling book, “The New American Dream: A Simple Roadmap to Purchasing Investment Properties,” to help average Americans safely enter the real estate business and scale investments to fit their dreams.
When asked why he decided to write his first book, Andrews remembered how difficult it was to overcome his own doubts and insecurities at the beginning of his investment career and set a mission to empower others to achieve their own goals in real estate. In addition to writing the book, he provides an 11-week course outlining the process he used to create his rental property company. Like the book, the course offers a roadmap to finding the kind of success Andrews has had in the real estate business.
“Real estate investing can be risky business,” said Andrews. “With potential pitfalls too numerous to count, leaping into the investor-landlord role can quickly feel overwhelming and possibly too dangerous. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“This book delivers a thorough and practical approach for finding success with investment and real estate properties,” HPU President Nido Qubein wrote in a review of the book.
With the step-by-step process Andrews presents in the book, an average American will be educated to safely enter the real estate business. He also walks readers through the full rental process covering
everything from finding good tenants to staying organized while managing several properties. “The New American Dream: A Simple Roadmap to Purchasing Investment Properties,” is available in hardcover or paperback via Amazon, Alibris, Barnes and Noble online, Thriftbooks.com, Walmart and other retailers.