Campus & Community

The Gephardt Institute recently celebrated this year’s Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award honorees. The award recognizes WashU community members whose efforts reflect their, and the university’s, commitment to St. Louis.

Sam Fox School graduate student Meera Lee Patel is an author and illustrator who encourages readers to “start where you are” and “create your own calm.” A self-taught artist, she has sold over a million copies of her books and journals. Patel then decided to explore a new interest: children’s literature.

Ophthalmology and health-equity advocacy have uncovered a third passion for Alexandra Zdonczyk: St. Louis. In July, Zdonczyk will begin her residency in ophthalmology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Clay Canfield is about to graduate with dual degrees in finance and entrepreneurship from Olin Business School. He is also the founder of Sobriety Hub, an app for sober living home operations.

Andrea Heredia is about to graduate with a master’s degree in public health from the Brown School. After graduation, she will work as a statistical data analyst at the School of Medicine.

Class Act Jamie Kenyon wants to use his degree in sustainability from University College to advocate for mass transit in the St. Louis region.

Blake Comeaux is a varsity football player, Ervin Scholar, Gephardt Institute Goldman Fellow and a self-proclaimed philosophy nerd. After graduation, Comeaux will continue his education at the Washington University School of Law.

Senior Kai Radford started serving St. Louis’ children when she, herself, was a child — reading at story times, helping at camps, supporting victims of violence. A decade later, she is poised to continue that work as a foster care case manager, building strong families and advocating for some of the 4,500 local children in the foster care system. 

The new St. Louis Confluence Award recognizes and elevates the strength and impact of the work led by community-minded researchers, their partners and university collaborators. The inaugural recipient is the Brown School’s Matthew Kreuter.

The pre-nursing program at University College gives School of Medicine employees and other working adults the academic foundation to enter a bachelor’s of nursing program. The program is flexible, feasible and for most university employees, free.