Arkansas Tech University student Zachary Schwartz is only comfortable when he’s uncomfortable.
“I think the best way to grow is to be uncomfortable and put yourself in positions you never would have imagined being in,” said Schwartz. “That’s what I’ve tried to do…to have a diverse array of experiences and not do the same thing each semester and each year. I wanted to be surrounded by people who are better than me.”
Schwartz, a biology major with an emphasis in pre-medical from Cedarville, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Alfred J. Crabaugh Award as the most outstanding senior male student at Arkansas Tech.
He was announced as the winner during a reception at Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville on Tuesday, April 26, and he will be honored at Arkansas Tech spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7.
“A lot of my family members attended Tech, so I feel like there’s a bond I have with this school,” said Schwartz. “I came here in middle school and high school for band camp and things of that nature, so I felt comfortable here before I even started applying to colleges. Tech seemed like a huge place. It felt like the big leagues. It was natural. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. Coming to Tech was the best choice in my life to this point.”
Schwartz arrived at Arkansas Tech with intentions to study pre-law. A class under Dr. Jackie Bowman, associate professor of biology, opened his eyes to the possibility of medicine.
Opportunities to conduct undergraduate research in organic chemistry and genetics spurred Schwartz’s interest in the medical field. Finishing in the top two of both the Senior Honors Symposium and the Student Research Symposium at Arkansas Tech during his senior year, as well as maintaining a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, confirmed that he possesses the skills necessary to succeed in medical school.
But it wasn’t until a volunteer opportunity made possible by Arkansas Tech that he knew medicine was his future.
As Schwartz assisted a patient at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, they connected over their shared interests and backgrounds. Schwartz said that it was at that moment he knew that he wanted to help others return to and live their best lives.
“There are a bunch of pivotal moments in a life when there are revelations that provide you with new insight into something, and that was one of those times when I received a wave of insight,” said Schwartz. “I’d been volunteering at Children’s for months before that experience, and I’d had similar experiences that were building up to this transition. It served as a confirmation of what I wanted to do.”
Schwartz has been active in Student Government Association, Pre-Med Club and Alpha Tau Omega at Arkansas Tech. He has worked as a freshman orientation leader and a resident assistant.
“I never planned to be a resident assistant,” said Schwartz. “My R.A. during my freshman year, Forrest Ott, has become one of my best friends. He tried to convince me to apply to become an R.A., but I told him that I saw what he did and I didn’t want to do that. Right before my sophomore year I got a call from him letting me know that some positions had opened up, and he stayed on me about it. If I hadn’t had somebody like that in my life early in my time at Tech, things would be radically different. I decided to take that leap.
“It’s a sense of pushing yourself,” continued Schwartz. “It is hard to be a resident assistant and an undergraduate student. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone. Initially, I was a pretty introverted student. I didn’t do much my freshman year since I wanted to get acclimated to campus and to the new academic rigor that happened here. Being an R.A. put me in an uncomfortable position, and I got comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Schwartz will attend the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences beginning in fall 2016. He isn’t sure which branch of medicine he would like to pursue, but he said that he trusts UAMS will help him sort through his options in much the same way that Arkansas Tech did at the undergraduate level.
For now, Schwartz is adjusting to the idea of joining the distinguished list of individuals who have won the Alfred J. Crabaugh Award before him.
“I’ve met a couple of people who are on the list,” said Schwartz. “I know (2012 Crabaugh Award winner) Jake Smith a little bit…a phenomenal guy. Those are people of a high caliber, and it’s hard for me to say that I would even compete with the likes of that kind of individual, but it is an honor that someone thinks I do. I’m extremely happy to have chosen Tech and had these experiences. I can rest assured knowing that I’ve had a maximal impact on people, and that’s where I receive meaning in life. I measure value in the breadth and depth of impact I can have on others, whether that is through leadership roles, tutoring, medicine…whatever it is. That’s what I want to do.”
