Alexis Rushford, a sophomore biology and pre-med major from Barre, VT, is raising money to attend a medical fellowship she got accepted into, in Greece. She will travel to Greece for one month next summer, shadowing doctors at a local hospital for twenty hours a week.

The medical fellowship, The Atlantis Project is not through the school. Rushford found this program through a friend who attended last year, in a different country. Once accepted into the program you can pick the country and program you wish to attend. When Rushford signed up, she wanted to go to Greece but when she got accepted there were no spots. However, last minute a spot opened up.  

“Greece is somewhere I have always wanted to go. I want to be a pediatrician and I was thinking of going to Italy but this hospital has a variety of different specialties I am able to shadow. This will either confirm that this is what I want to do or I will find something else,” Rushford said.

According to Rushford’s GoFundMe page, the cost of the program is $4,740 with a $900 deposit fee, which will secure her spot in the program. A plane ticket will be around $850 and she is estimating $500  for food and emergency money for the month, which equals the grand total of $7000. If she does not reach her goal by January 15th, she will be unable to attend. In the last month she has raised over $2,200.

On campus Rushford is a member of Phi Sigma Sigma, the honors program, Alpha Lambda Delta, and is a Resident Assistant in Forest. She is also a registered EMT and in April of 2016 she taught english to young students in Nicaragua.  

“Going to Nicaragua was the most life changing experience because it opened my eyes to new culture in a different way of thinking and gave me a whole new appreciation for education. It was also perfect because I got to work with kids and that is what I want to do one day in the future,” Rushford said.

She described her mom as her biggest supporter and inspiration.

“My mom raised me as a single mom and she went through nursing school while raising me. She’s my biggest inspiration and role model. I am also registered emt, and was certified my senior year of high school. It reassured me, and my love for the medical field in general,” Rushford said.

Rushford welcomes even the smallest donations to help her reach her goal, and her page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/alexisrushford.

“When people donate even $5 I get so excited,” Rushford said.