b'Davis Roche understood firsthand the importance of pushing Davis out of his comfort zone and into achieving When Davis Roche decided that Valdostagreatness. Ashley encouraged Davis to shadow State University would become his home awayher, giving him an opportunity to witness the from home, he knew one thing for certainhecare she gave to each patient or situation. wanted to major in healthcare administration.Ashleys goal was to infuse Daviss internship He had a passion to change the landscape ofexperience with skill development, perspective, the healthcare world and to impact patients in asupervision, professional connections, academic positive way. credit, earnings, as well as the opportunity to represent VSU and to provide service to others.The healthcare profession runs deeply through the veins of the Roche family. With an auntAs Davis became more confident in his new currently working at the Mayo Clinic, Davis hadrole, Ashley appointed him as the lead on more than contemplated the idea to internprojects that focused on building his leadership, there; he was counting on it.presentation and management skills set. Three projects were assigned to Davisa compliance In December 2017, Davis contacted the Mayoproject, a third party medical records Clinic to establish Valdosta State University asmanagement project, and a project focusing on an affiliated organization. This action wouldpatient wait times. create a pipeline for internship opportunities for future healthcare administration students.In looking back on his experience, Davis was In March 2018, he learned that he had beenmost thankful for being placed in a situation accepted into the program in Jacksonville,that threw comfort out the window, built his Florida. The following May he assumed hisconfidence, and assured him beyond a shadow position on the team.of a doubt that he had chosen the right major. Davis remembers the first days of his internshipThe Mayo Clinic taught me how healthcare and how fortunate he was to be paired withshould be and that the focus should always be a mentor. Ashley Pratt, clinical operationshow we can do it better, he said. It was evident manager-transplant, began her career at theevery day that the needs of the patient came clinic as an intern, just like Davis. She knewfirst and that each and every employee of the all too well how overwhelming it could be toMayo Clinic truly loved their job.intern at the No. 1 hospital in the country and SPRING 2019 11'