Barrett prepares for life after the game

Barrett prepares for life after the game

By Alexandria Adle, '20

No one would raise a brow at an Albion student who followed the question, "What do you do outside of academics?" with an exhausting list of extracurricular activities, jobs, and service work. Take Jade Barrett, for example, a sophomore student from Los Angeles who packed her bags and moved to Albion College to play lacrosse.

Fast-forward to present day and lacrosse is not the only thing gobbling up her schedule – she also works for the Henry Ford Allegiance Health System in Jackson, the Dow Center and game management. Additionally, she dedicates time to Brit Knits, the Asian Awareness Group and starting her own club for chess players.

As a biochemistry major, Barrett knew she wanted to work in the medical field, but originally she planned on being an ultrasound technician. However, at Henry Ford, she works for hospice, providing care to help patients feel more comfortable. She mentioned that the relationships she made with fellow co-workers and her patients changed the direction she was headed in and now plans to work in medicine.

Barrett gave some advice for students who feel they want to do more and don't know how, or students who are just not quite sure what they want yet.

"Talk to other people, keep an open mindset, try things outside your comfort zone and you may find what you really love."

Q: How did you find out about the job there? What motivated you to apply?
A: Through the Wilson Institute for Medicine. I took a class with Dr. Bradley Rabquer (an associate professor of biology and director of the Wilson Institute for Medicine) and he encouraged us to apply for healthcare jobs in the area. Then Henry Ford Allegiance Health got back to be, and I accepted a job in hospice there.

Barrett admits that at times she felt overwhelmed with her schedule. Most days she ran from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and that didn't include the hours she put in at the hospital where she usually worked from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. It's around the clock for Barrett, but she kept up with her academics and health by utilizing spare moments to study or nap.

"My secret is to always think about how lucky I am to be in college and to have the opportunity to be the person I am today," Barrett said.

Alexandria Adle is a civic engagement technologies (individually designed major) major with a minor in communication studies