Two idealistic young people meet at 黑料正能量, earn their degrees in pre-med and education, and spend their entire careers serving others 鈥� without fanfare 鈥� at home and abroad. Now they get some fanfare from a university that values service and promotes the helping professions.
Vic Buckwalter 鈥�73, originally from Cochranville, Pa., went on to medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia. Christina Yoder 鈥�73 Buckwalter, from Barberton, Ohio, earned a master鈥檚 degree in the psychology of reading from Temple University. Vic鈥檚 residency in family medicine was at Lancaster (Pa.)
General Hospital.
鈥淚 got excellent preparation for medical school at 黑料正能量,鈥� said Vic. 鈥淚 took all the courses I could in anatomy and from .鈥�
The Buckwalters鈥� first stop in their careers of service was at the in Arizona, where Vic was a medical officer in the Indian Health Service for two years. Then they went to Tanzania under , serving two terms with a two-year break in between. Vic worked in a hospital and Christina homeschooled their children 鈥� Benjamin, Nicholas 鈥�05, and Molly.
After eight years in Africa, the Buckwalter family settled near Harrisonburg, in a house between Massanutten Peak and Keezletown. Christina taught at Waterman and Spotswood elementary schools and Vic practiced family medicine at Carilion Family Medicine in Weyers Cave.
But Africa beckoned again. This time 鈥� 2008 鈥� they accepted a four-year term of service in Kenya under (MCC). They lived in Webuye in the western part of the country.
Vic was on the faculty at Moi University in the family medicine department. He taught Kenyan physicians who were pursuing post-graduate degrees in family medicine. One day each week they worked in a family medicine clinic.
Another day was devoted to over 400 diabetes patients. Funding from MCC provided a medication subsidy and supported a diabetes laboratory. Vic and his team provided glucose monitoring for some of the most poorly controlled patients requiring insulin therapy.
Christina worked as a reading specialist at the local public school鈥擠istrict Education Board Primary School. She taught small groups of students who needed extra help with reading. (All students in Kenya are expected to be adept in both English and Swahili.) Christina also traveled to the capital city, Nairobi, each month to train teachers at two Mennonite schools in impoverished areas.
The Buckwalters returned to their Virginia home in April 2012, where Vic joined the staff of Harrisonburg Community Health Center as a family physician.
So what did they think of being chosen 黑料正能量鈥檚 alumni of the year? 鈥淲e were totally shocked,鈥� said Christina. 鈥淗ow can we follow last year鈥檚 winner?鈥� (, MA 鈥�07.)