Patient Advocate
Zoie Hulst ’20, Class of 2022, found her home at Grand Valley in 2017. After attending another college for just one semester, Zoie was looking for a new place to call home. She found the perfect fit for her here.
By middle school, Zoie knew wanted to be a physician assistant. In high school, she gained experience working in a variety of health care settings and was able to job shadow practicing physician assistants. Growing up in Grand Rapids, and attending Grand Rapids South Christian High School, Zoie was able to witness the growth of the Medical Mile. The excitement and expansion of the community’s health corridor further inspired her to pursue a degree in health care.
Zoie was welcomed by the Laker community and quickly became involved in campus activities. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences, Zoie was involved in and eventually president of the Pre-Physician Assistant Club.
“The atmosphere, people, and positive learning environment have always been my favorite things about this university,” said Zoie. “The atmosphere here is not only full of excellent professors and experts in every field of medicine, but also with students who genuinely want to learn, excel, and make a difference.”
After graduating in 2020, Zoie had to decide where to attend graduate school to finish her education. She looked at many programs but ultimately decided to return to Grand Valley. The exceptional reputation and culture that Grand Valley’s program offers are what drove Zoie to stay.
“I chose Grand Valley because I have high aspirations as a future PA: to make positive change in the delivery of medical care to patients, to improve the patient experience, and to improve equity in our delivery of care,” said Zoie. “I knew Grand Valley would be the best university to help me reach my goals and shape me into an excellent PA.
Grand Valley’s Health Campus has provided students like Zoie the opportunity to study, work, and collaborate alongside current health care professionals.
“I believe it is not only the facilities and access to excellent learning tools at Grand Valley that give us a leg-up on accurate physical exam, diagnostic, and treatment skills, but also the people who are involved in this program who help to mold future PAs into excellent medical professionals,” said Zoie.
Zoie is set to graduate in the Fall of 2022 with her master’s in physician assistant studies. She plans on starting her career in family practice or emergency medicine.