Inspiration comes in all different shapes and sizes. For Allison Stogsdill, it came in the form of Tuesday game nights at a senior living community.

“When I began volunteering, I expected to offer companionship to others but did not expect to receive it myself,” says Stogsdill, a 2020 Most Valuable Student scholar sponsored by Franklin, Ind., Lodge No. 1818. “Eventually, game nights with the residents alleviated my own stress and worries. Walking into the facility and seeing their faces light up at the sight of my presence made me feel a sense of belonging and purpose I had never experienced before.”

The deep, meaningful connections Stogsdill formed with these residents inspired her to pursue a career in family medicine. After shadowing a family medicine practitioner in a rural town, Stogsdill’s focus was narrowed down even further.

“Witnessing the practitioner’s interactions with his patients stimulated my passion for the specialty and drove me to pursue the rural track program in medical school,” says Stogsdill. “The experience gave me insight into the many layers that underlie the role of a rural physician. Because the breadth of patients seen and treatments administered are widespread, a rural physician must acquire a large skill set equipped to treat and solve a multitude of problems.”

As someone that grew up in a small town—a town that didn’t even have a hospital—Stogsdill understands the need for healthcare in rural communities.

“Growing up in a rural, medically underserved area has triggered an honest devotion to confronting the lack of suitable healthcare access within communities like mine,” says Stogsdill. “I want to be an instigator of change and address the provider shortages in rural Indiana.” A 2024 graduate of Hanover College, Stogsdill has bright hopes for the future. When she looks back on her past, she recognizes the difference the Elks have made.

“The Elks scholarship allowed me to realize my dream of going to a small college to become part of a tight-knit community in which I could form personal and meaningful relationships with my professors and thrive in small class sizes,” says Stogsdill. “I truly wish my high school senior self could see me right now, receiving the Weigel Medical School scholarship.”

With the Weigel scholarship, Stogsdill will attend the Indiana University School of Medicine to study rural medicine.