Amazing student: David Newton

Majoring in biology and psychology with a minor in chemistry, the senior from Augusta has put the focus of his UGA experience on research, interning and community volunteering as he prepares for medical school:

My time at UGA could be characterized as a humbling yet exhilarating work in progress. I’ve had some of the most incredible experiences in my life, and the people I’ve met here have been even more incredible. Many of these friends have been featured on this page, and I am honored to be counted among them. Any successes I’ve had in college can be attributed to these students at UGA who have gone before me. I only hope I’ve successfully paid it forward to younger students to whom I’ve passed along the same advice I once received. 

In preparation for a career in medicine, I have seen the ways I’ve matured across my undergraduate years in how I address issues and understand people. My work at Mercy Health Center has been instrumental in this process. Health care availability and poverty alleviation are the foremost social issues I plan to combat as a physician. I have begun this pursuit at Mercy Health Center, a free clinic available to uninsured Athens residents at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Here I have learned to value individuals not for their socioeconomic status but for their inherent worth as human beings. While I ultimately hope to provide medical care to these patients, my goal as a volunteer has been to establish such excellence in our patients’ health care experiences that they may be affirmed in their self-worth.

Outstanding students, preparing for meaningful careers. The connections that UGA students develop between and among themselves is an obvious, though perhaps little-considered dynamic that affects their lives long after they leave campus. It's networking, but so much more than that. Friends and associates have a great deal of influence on how and what we do, and campus is an important place to meet, learn from others and share that experience, just as Newton describes. A fantastic student who is going to make great doctor, and we are proud to be part of his story.