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Eva Noles, the former Director of Nursing at Roswell Park and the first African-American RN in Buffalo, has lived her life believing "where there's a will there's a way." Brittany Peoples approaches each day with a similar attitude. In 2008 Brittany won the first Eva Noles Scholarship, which was established for Roswell Park employees pursuing a first degree. Yroswell got a chance to learn more about this motivated young woman.


Age? 22

Hometown? Saint Petersburg, Florida

High school? Columbia High School, East Greenbush, New York

College and major? I currently attend Buffalo State College. I am a senior where in May I will be completing a dual Bachelors of Science degree in both Forensic Chemistry and Criminal Justice.

What are some of your hobbies? Sports of all sorts, I am very athletic. I also love traveling, and shopping!

Plans after graduation? I plan on continuing my education in a graduate program studying cancer epidemiology in hopes to one day receive my Masters and PhD., conduct research and become an educator in cancer epidemiology and study in depth health disparities among different racial groups.

What profession would you like to go into? I hope to work as an Epidemiologist at a large medical facility or at institution such as the CDC and concomitantly work as an educator at a University.

Did you always want to go into that profession? No, I originally wanted to be a forensic scientist or a parole officer. So I was all over the map originally but I knew I loved science, especially biology and chemistry. The Criminal Justice was a second degree I pursued because I was so interested in community relations and the criminal justice system, so I took on both majors. But in my junior and senior year I began taking advanced Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry courses that expanded my interests and passion in Chemistry and steered me away from Forensics. I knew I wouldn’t be happy in the future if I continued to pursue that career and I felt it to be too repetitive and not as interesting as what you see on television.

What is the Eva Noles Scholarship? The scholarship is designed to help students who are pursuing their first post-secondary degree and employed at Roswell interested in a career in healthcare. Eva Noles was the first African-American woman to train and graduate as a Registered Nurse in Buffalo, New York, who went on to become a Nursing Educator and the Director of Nursing at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. She was truly a phenomenal woman in Western New York with numerous accomplishments.

What does winning the scholarship mean to you? The scholarship means a lot to me. Soon after I received the scholarship, I began to realize how I could use the scholarship to help prepare me for my future. In this short time, the award has helped me further my academic success and provided me with a wealth of opportunities I wouldn’t have had if I was not selected as the scholarship recipient. It has also helped me in networking opportunities with numerous individuals within Roswell. Two of the most influential, are Dr. Candace Johnson and Dr. Kirsten Moysich. Both individuals have offered their assistance in helping me reach my goals and I was overwhelmed with their support. They told me their individual stories, how they reached where they are now. They talked about success and demonstrated to me, how I could be successful and the many paths I could take to reach my dreams. I am thankful for the committee and all their nurturing and support because they offered me resources and opportunities that as a young African American woman can seem surreal.

You're helping to create a world without cancer at Roswell. What do you do? At Roswell Park Cancer Institute, I am a Telephone Interviewer in the Health Behavior department. When I first started the position, I didn’t realize the many different aspects of research. After working in Survey Research & Data Acquisition (SRDAR) for a year, an academic data center, I became more interested in the various topics of data research we collected. I was hands-on in helping various organizations and doctors collect data for their individual research projects. And through this position I became very interested in cancer and conducting my own research in the future in Epidemiology and health disparities affecting minorities. This position has equipped me with a unique set of strengths and I gained a plethora of knowledge to help me succeed in the future.

What advice can you give to other Generation Y’ers who might want to fight cancer or may be dealing with cancer? Follow your dreams and heart. Love what you choose to do. Always go after every opportunity you are ever offered. With hard work and determination nothing is impossible. That is the only way to success and excellence. I truly believe that education is the means of accomplishing endless possibilities. Something that has stuck with me throughout my high school and college career is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi’s advice to “be the change you wish to see in the world” which I hope to accomplish by giving back and helping those following in the same steps I did. And for the children that may be dealing with cancer, see past the rain and never give up. Look towards the rainbow and always have faith and trust that everything will work out in due time. Don’t be afraid to continuously walk by faith.

Do you watch shows like CSI or Cold Case? Do you try to solve the crimes while sitting on your couch? Well get up and become part of the action! Careers in criminal justice and forensic science are becoming more popular than ever! Here are just a few that may interest you:

Forensic Scientists:
- Many areas of specialization such as, weapons and firearms, DNA analysis, and different substances like hair, body fluids, and fibers.
Legal and Law Enforcement:
- Entry-level police recruits, DEA and INS agents, FBI, and a range of upper management positions
Police Investigators and Detectives:
- Detectives: collect evidence and facts, interview witnesses, examine records, make arrests
- Forensic Pathologists: analyze evidence and facts


This is just some brief information to get you started on pursuing the career path of your choice, just imagine what you could find if you CLICK HERE to find out more! While you're on the YRoswell site, you should definitley check out the new y_tv blog by CLICKING HERE and seeing how you could be a part of real life CSI!

If you've ever thought about a pursuing a career in medicine or science, what are you waiting for?! There are so many interesting and rewarding paths you could choose and here are just a few:

Nurses:
- Comprise the largest group of hospital staff, and specialize in areas such as trauma, oncology, and psychiatrics.
Doctors:
- Diagnose medical conditions and perform procedures and operations of many different levels to assist in the health and fast recovery of patients
Medical Technicians and Medical Assistants:
- Medical Technicians: Collect samples from patients, such as blood samples, and perform tests on samples sent to the laboratory - Medical Assistants: Clerical work such as handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, handling bookkeeping, and looking after insurance forms.


There is a lot more information about these careers as well as many others you might like! CLICK HERE to find out more details about these careers or visit the y_tv blog HERE to see how you could become part of your favorite television shows!

Betty Owens, RN manages the Nursing Externship Program at Roswell Park and she received a letter detailing how the summer went from one of her students, Courtney Greene. Here are some excerpts:

"...Skill-wise I learned so much: suctioning, changing wound dressings, drawing blood from medi-ports....I also learned how to walk into a patient's room with confidence and how to create a build a trusting relationship with them....

What's funny about Roswell is that the one thing we are known for is the one thing we hate: cancer. Cancer sucks, I learned that this summer. I also learned that cancer patients are the bravest, most positive and most inspiring people I have ever come in contact with. This past year at school I was close to changing my major...[but] I felt a change inside myself after my first day at Roswell. Maybe it all started with the volunteer that opened the hospital door for all the interns as we got off the shuttle, or maybe it started with the smiles worn by every single employee we met that first day...

The change occurring within me continued as I began the clinical part of my internship. First, I just observed the nurses I followed, watching and learning from them. They were so passionate, so willing to do anything for the patient. So ready to fight cancer right along with the patient. It was obvious that they loved not only what they did, but also whom they worked with and whom they worked for. That was true with almost every nurse, nurse practitioner, aide and physician that I came in contact with. I realized how important it is to work in a positive atmosphere with people you get along with...

I'm so thankful for having the opportunity to participate in the summer nursing internship at Roswell...I find it hard to complain these days. I am healthy, my family is healthy and my friends are healthy. Someone may cut me off driving, I may have a bad hair day, I have may to wait in line for a long time at a store, and I may never find a boyfriend, but I don't have cancer...[Cancer patients keep going. They keep fighting and so will I for them. I can't cure cancer on my own, and I can't save the world. But I can make a difference, every single day."

Do you want to be a doctor or a nurse or a scientist? What about a technician, a patient access specialist or even a business major who understands medical needs?

Y-Roswell can help you learn more. Please email yroswell AT roswellpark.org with your career interest and we'll send you more information.

If you want to become a student at Roswell, visit this link.

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The links on this page will allow you to navigate the choices and ask for more information.

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