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V O L . X X I I I N O. X X I X D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 22 L ike most of his peers who will graduate this coming spring, Bates College senior Reed Mszar is thinking a lot about his future. He's pursued a double major in biochemis- try and sociology, largely because of his keen interest in public health. anks to the college's Purposeful Work initiative, which got a strong jump-start in October 2013 with a Catalyst Fund gift of $11.5 million from current and past members of the college's trustees, Mszar has two years of paid summer internships in health care under his belt to guide him on the next stages of his life's journey after graduation. "I saw several open-heart surger- ies," he says of his internship two years ago at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. He also had several work assignments that "helped narrow the scope" of his medical interests into the arena known as "public health," which focuses on preventing disease and promoting health through research and education. is past summer he explored that inkling more deeply, again with a paid internship, this time as a medical researcher at the National Institutes of Health in Bethseda, Md. He's now working on his senior thesis, a research project he's doing in collaboration with a colleague at CMMC. It's about a genetic condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia that dispropor- tionately aff ects Franco-Americans in Lewiston-Auburn. If untreated, it can lead to high levels of LDL, the so- called "bad" cholesterol, and contribute to early heart attacks and strokes. Mszar — who grew up in the greater Washington, D.C-area and picked Bates because, in his words, "I saw I wouldn't be just a number here" — credits the Purposeful Work initiative with helping him discern the aspects of health care that "resonated most" with his personal interests and skills. " ese combined experiences have given me the confi dence to know that after Bates I can help improve health outcomes in the community," he says. Two years in the making Bates College's Purposeful Work initia- tive is redefi ning the liberal arts mission of the 162-year-old college, broadening it to include employers in Maine and elsewhere as partners in helping students discover how "work" — the activity that will fi ll most of their adult hours — goes far beyond simply collecting a paycheck. "College has always been about pre- paring our students for life and work," says Bates College President Clayton Spencer, the college's eighth president, P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y B AT E S C O L L E G E Purposeful work Bates initiative prepares students for work that fits their skills and interests B y J a m e s M c C a r t h y H R / R E C R U I T M E N T F O C U S 44% 44% 38% 34% 42% 48% 45% 42% 41% 44% 24% 34% 27% 24% 20% 40% 43% 31% 32% 34% 68% 78% 65% 58% 62% 88% 88% 73% 73% 78% 2014 2016 2014 2016 2014 2016 2014 2016 2014 2016 Identify appropriate employers & positions Present your relevant experiences & skills effectively Identify graduate school or fellowship opportunities Network effectively Effectively plan your own career Generally confident Very confident COFHE SENIOR SURVEY — CAREER CONFIDENCE S O U R C E : Bates College / Consortium on Financing Higher Education survey Bates College President Clayton Spencer leads a discussion with students from Kalperis Hall. Spencer, the college's eighth president in its 162-year-old history, set the college on the path of redefi ning its liberal arts mission with its Purposeful Work program that guides students over their four years at the college into thinking deeply about how work enables them to contribute to 'larger purposes' than just themselves.

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