Hometown/Sending School
Bald Knob, Ark./Bald Knob High School
College and Area(s) of Study
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.), Biological Science/Physiology
Current profession and company. Tell us what you do.
Pediatric cardiologist and cardiac intensivist at Texas Children’s Hospital. I am a dual-boarded pediatric cardiologist and cardiac intensive care physician. I take care of children with congenital heart diseases in the ICU and the outpatient clinic. I am also the medical director of the single ventricle program at the Heart Center in Texas Children’s Hospital – the number one pediatric heart center in the U.S. and the largest children’s hospital in the country.
What made you choose to attend ASMSA?
I attended a small high school in a town with a population of no more than 3,000 at the time. I knew I was interested in a field in STEM. My parents and I felt that ASMSA (called ASMS at the time) offered me the best education in preparation for college as I was also interested in applying to highly competitive universities.
What are your fondest memories of the school?
My fondest memories are the friends that I made my two years at ASMSA and the teachers who were fully dedicated to my education who also became lifelong friends. Folks like Corey Boby, Melanie Nichols, Donna Hutchison, the late John Harrison, and so many other teachers and counselors made a lasting impact in my life. I would not be where I am today without them.
What do you feel was the most important thing that you learned at ASMSA?
I learned that learning is a lifelong process. The importance of community and friends. Success is only possible with a village behind you.
Share a favorite quote and/or your favorite book.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Book – In the Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot