Buffalo, NY - As an undergrad, Calvin Herrick ’23 was always looking for ways to help. As he found them on campus and off, he also discovered a career path toward looking out for others.
At Canisius University, Herrick was a teaching assistant for three years and president of the biology honors society Beta Beta Beta, where he revitalized the club after COVID by re-introducing student-led academic review sessions to boost grades and comradery.
“The sophomore study sessions were popular in the past, so we brought them back and expanded them to include freshmen,” he explained. “The faculty saw a need, and it allowed us to share our own experiences with underclassmen—study tactics, plus how each professor handles notetaking, tests and question formats.”
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Andrew Stewart, biology professor and co-chair, was impressed with Herrick’s poise and maturity as a freshman and invited him to join his research lab, where the pair co-authored a paper that was published in Evolution: The International Journal of Organic Evolution. Later, Herrick took Stewart’s senior-level genetics class as a junior and tutored his peers the following year. Stewart says Herrick’s sense of selfless leadership embodies the school’s Jesuit traditions.
“Calvin is genuinely in it for others,” says Stewart. “He is always willing to help when asked and will offer to help if not asked. At the same time, he’s smart about it—he manages to complete assignments early, get enough sleep and still have time for himself.”
Off campus, the LeRoy, NY, native volunteered on Buffalo’s West Side with Westminster Economic Development Initiative’s (WEDI) ENERGY, mentoring elementary school students learning to read, write and speak English, and with 716 Ministries, helping rehabilitate housing in underserved neighborhoods.
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After graduating summa cum laude, Herrick’s service and academic achievements earned him a spot in Canisius University’s Physician Assistant Studies master’s program, which accepts only 30 of 600 applicants each year. Not surprisingly, he was introduced to the program through volunteering: As a sophomore, Herrick served as a standardized patient, acting out symptoms for PA students to diagnose and determine treatment. He says it was a great way to meet professors, preview the program and live the patient experience—something that will make him a better health care provider later.
“Patients often talk about how they like seeing certain PAs because they listen,” says PA Studies Program Director Aimee Larson. “That’s Calvin. He takes the time to listen, considers other perspectives and advocates for those who are vulnerable. He’ll be the PA everyone wants to see.”
While the rigors of clinical rotations have paused Herrick’s volunteer activities, his experiences are influencing his internships. Working with kids at the afterschool program helped him connect with his pediatric rotation patients, and spending time in economically disadvantaged communities shaped the direction of Herrick’s professional purpose.
“I’m drawn toward working with the medically underserved,” he says. “At WEDI my volunteer work was with people who can gain the most from even basic health care. It would be meaningful and rewarding to help fill that gap.”
