It’s 3 p.m., and junior Priyanka Satish is pipetting atrazine into beakers in preparation for her research project, ”How does atrazine exposure affect the expression of the circadian Per2 gene in the brain tissue of mice?” Though she is focused on her work and chatting with her adviser, Dr. Deb Martin, swirling in the back of her mind are a dozen other things like finishing the T-shirts for the Pickleball tournament, lining up the next makerspace projects, wondering how many students are signed up for tutoring today, and finishing her coursework.
Satish says she lives and breathes by her Google calendar to get her to events on time and keep track of when everything is due.
She is an Accelerated 3+2 Physician Assistant (PA) major, which is offered in collaboration with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. And, as she started Saint Mary’s with an associate degree, this is second, yet already final year on the Winona Campus — before she continues her studies at Saint Mary’s Rochester Campus to begin earning her master’s degree — so she’s decided to cram as many experiences into this year’s Google calendar as possible.
Satish and her family originated from India before moving to Eden Prairie, Minn. She smiles when she admits she’s never carved a pumpkin before. So, as an intern in the university’s Anthony B’59 and Sandra Adducci Family Makerspace, one of the many activities she organized in fall — including LED lights, 3D printing, and candle making — was to make jack-o-lanterns.
Although she’s never carved a pumpkin … she does have her pilot’s license. She’s also a competitive pickleball player. She’s the first person in the PA program to complete the first three-year portion of studies in two years. And, she has already sutured a human heart.
In fact, that’s why Satish chose Saint Mary’s, because of its PA program and because she eventually wants to work as a PA in cardiovascular surgery. She originally thought she’d attend a state school to play Division I basketball. But her dream of working with the No. 1 hospital in the nation became more important. “I chose my career instead,” she said.
Her decision to work in health care started fairly young. She’s watched as family members have struggled with their health, and it made her want to do something. “I always wanted to be that person to help,” she said.
She has worked for four years at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, where she has served as the lead CNA in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and IMC (Intermediate Care) unit. There, she’s assisted with many heart and stroke patients. This is where she first saw human hearts and even held one in her hands. Her fascination with hearts started there and was confirmed during her studies at Saint Mary’s. Satish said she was recently able to do a couple of job shadowing days at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital and was able to suture a live heart.
At Saint Mary’s, Satish gives back to other students who may be struggling in their rigorous science coursework. She works as both a biology tutor and a post lab tutor. She is also an innovative scholar and also serves as a student orientation leader for the PA program.
“My orientation leader is now my best friend and my role model. I wanted to bring that experience to the other students,” she said.” It’s a really rigorous program, and I want (incoming students) to have the best experience possible. They call me their buddy and they know I’m the person they can talk to. That’s the kind of relationship I wanted to build with them.”
And even though she didn’t play basketball at Saint Mary’s, she channeled her competitive spirit into another sport — pickleball. She started her own club her freshman year, and now 165 students are getting in on the fun. To save money, Satish is helping make this year’s T-shirts in the makerspace.
“My parents started playing for giggles, and I said, it’s such an old person’s sport, it’s such a difference from basketball, but I’ve been hooked, I’ve played in pro-tournaments. “The first day of school, I was like, ‘I’m kind of into pickleball, who wants to be my VP and head my public relations?’ I didn’t realize what all went into starting a club. But we made it work. Our club is packed. We have a range of beginners to competitive people. It’s my favorite day of the week when we have pickleball club.”
Satish believes she made the right choice in coming to Saint Mary’s.
“I originally wanted to go to a state school and play basketball, but starting this pickleball club was 100 percent why I love Saint Mary’s; you wouldn’t have been able to do this at a big school,” she said. “I love the small niche community. I love this campus. I don’t know how I’d do in a big school. I like knowing everybody. A lot of my friends have 400 kids in bio classes, we have 15-20. Faculty know me outside of class. Those close relationships you make with professors and classmates you are never going to get at a state school.”