Alayna Westcom ’15, a student in UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Medical Laboratory Science Program, earned the Miss Vermont 2015 title with a talent for scientific experiment and a goal to promote success through STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics among young people in the state.
Inspired by a desire to serve her community, the Bakersfield, Vt., native pursued an undergraduate degree in forensics before entering the Post-Baccalaureate Medical Laboratory Science Program. Westcom’s ultimate career goal is to become a pathologist.
“I wanted to be able to understand the testing and the principles behind the orders when I become a pathologist, so I decided that medical laboratory science was the way to go. This also allows me to pay off some of my schooling before I return for more,” Westcom said.
UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Medical Laboratory Science Program consists of three semesters during which students develop competency to perform a full range of testing in contemporary medical labs and proficiency to interpret results, evaluate data, and participate in development and quality assurance practices. Graduates are eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology certification exam, which is required for work in many clinical diagnostic laboratories.
As a young woman, Westcom said she frequently experienced criticism when sharing her goal to become a pathologist -- and the memory fuels her drive to promote STEM careers to young women.
“I think for a long time there has been this belief that if there are not a lot of woman doing the job, than it is not meant for them. If we can get more young woman to be excited about science at a young age, they will continue on to STEM careers later in life, and we can change the way we think about ‘women's’ and ‘men's’ careers,” said Westcom.
Westcom completed her clinical internship in the laboratory at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vt., where she has accepted employment as a medical technologist and plans to work part-time -- in addition to serving as a per diem autopsy technician at the University of Vermont Medical Center -- over the course of the year she will serve as Miss Vermont.
“Alayna has the personal attributes of patience, leadership, and consideration of others, and she was always well organized,” said her adviser Christine Griffin, a faculty member in the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. “She is a welcome addition to the laboratory profession.”
Westcom is the second College of Nursing and Health Sciences student to be named Miss Vermont in two years. Jeanelle Achee, Nursing ’14, earned the title in 2013. UVM neuroscience major Lucy Edwards won the title in 2014.