This week’s campus celebrity, Aaron Douthit, works very hard and is involved in many admirable activities on campus. As a senior nursing, BSN student pursuing an MSN in nursing administration you would think he would be busy enough with classes, except Aaron also has a whole stack of extra positions to add to his resume. He currently is involved in the council of trustees as the student trustee, the chairperson for the student affairs committee, the liaison for the foundation for IUP, a general member of Phi Delta Theta, a member of two honors societies Phi Kappa Theta and Sigma Theta Tau, a general member of IUP Ambassadors, and also is the assistant secretary for the Student Cooperative Association Board of Directors, and is an ex-officio of student government. He definitely knows how to keep busy and manage his time well!
Aaron says he picked Nursing as his major because it is a ‘gateway degree into healthcare’ and after finishing his graduate degree he hopes to put it to use. His future plans include getting his master’s degree and a doctorate of nurse anesthesia, while working as a registered nurse in an intensive care setting.
His favorite memory from IUP was hosting a distinguished alumnus through ambassadors for the Young Alumni Achievement Awards and Networking Dinner. This is an honor that very few outstanding students receive, which makes it very impressive.
Aaron’s advice for freshman students, or really any student, is to get involved and not to be afraid to try new things. As you can see he has definitely followed this advice himself, and it has paid off by giving him opportunities that some people can only hope for.
If you ever see Aaron on campus doing one of his various activities, be sure to pay attention to one of IUP’s finest and most involved students. Since he is a senior, he’s only going to be around IUP for a little while longer, but big things will be coming from him in the future! Who knows, he could even be your anesthesiologist someday!