Jenny Blau '02 never imagined that Bates College would allow her to integrate three passions — medicine, Spanish and community service — into one career goal. Through her work at the Bates Street Clinic in Lewiston, Blau helps the local Hispanic community while shadowing one of the clinic's providers, Dr. Anne Brown.

"I am a Spanish major, and my dream is to become a doctor working for the Spanish people, either in the United States or abroad," she says. Blau began her work at the clinic as a first-year student by shadowing Dr. Brown. As a sophomore, Blau helped to establish a network and outreach program to inform the Hispanic community about the clinic's new evening program. "The gratitude of the families is the best encouragement I could receive," she says.

In applying to Bates, what impressed her most was faculty and student commitment to service-learning. In its third year, the Bates College Center for Service-Learning has assisted hundreds of Bates students and professors to form tight bonds within the local community.

Blau's several courses with Emily Kane, associate professor of sociology, led her to declare a minor in the field. "I became interested in the sociological view of health-care and minorities," says Blau, who intends to continue her Bates Street Clinic work for the remainder of her college career. "Bates is the type of college that encourages creativity and passion as well as the opportunity to get out there and learn beyond the classroom."—By Nick Bournakel '01