Anabelle Streckfus ’22 understands that patients at the hospital may feel anxious and sad, and she wants to bring them calmness and joy. She volunteers for Art From the Heart at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She brings colored pencils, paper, glue sticks, modeling clay, water colors, origami paper and art project ideas to patients and family members in the children’s specialty center, hematology/oncology waiting room and the hospital’s main waiting lobby.

“I have seen people light up as I offer them free art supplies. The hospital can be a very stressful place of course, so I am proud to play a small role in making it a bit more tolerable,” Streckfus said.

A health sciences major, Streckfus intends to become a nurse practitioner focusing on pediatrics. Last summer, she participated in a community health internship working with staff from RiseVT Windsor and the Mount Ascutney office of the Vermont health department. The project involved providing health education to people living in southeastern Vermont.

“I learned a lot about messaging, and how to reach people who may not have a high level of health literacy,” Streckfus said. “This is such an important concept for health care professionals, because it really impacts patient health and likelihood of them adopting treatment practices.”

Streckfus rows for the UVM Rowing team and serves as a peer mentor to first-year students through the CNHS LINKS program. As a junior, she volunteered as a doula and participated in the Students for a National Health Program club.