Class of 2019 Success Stories: Track and Field star next to compete in field of health care

Allison Farmer, who interned at ProMedica, has job lined up at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus

By Samantha Sharp ’19

Allison Farmer chose Bowling Green State University because she believed that a BGSU degree would take her far in her future career, and it felt like her hometown.

Turns out she was rather prophetic. Farmer was able to pursue her passion for throwing, land her dream internship at ProMedica and complete her degree with a job lined up after graduating from BGSU.

“The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program is great and the Track and Field staff really sold it for me,” Farmer said. “I am proud to say I have represented BGSU in the MAC Championships for the past four years, and this year we are ranked eighth in the nation in throwing.”

Farmer recalled the moment she was accepted into the MLS program as one of her favorite college memories. She said that the MLS program has a 100 percent job placement rate, and that she had no trouble securing her position in the special chemistry department at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.

“My professors have really admired my athletic background and I feel like they really want me to succeed in my field once I retire from sports,” said Farmer, who grew up in Dresden, Ohio, near Zanesville.

MLS instructors Jessica Bankey and Amanda Joost made a positive impact on Farmer’s classroom experience because they were very accommodating when it came to her hectic Athletics schedule. She also is grateful for the guidance that Dr. Lee Meserve, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of biology, gave her as her first pre-med adviser, two-time course instructor and faculty Athletics representative.

“I see Dr. Meserve pretty frequently and he was amazing with my transition to college. He is willing to go above and beyond for students, and has helped me balance Athletics and school,” Farmer said.

Through the MLS program, Farmer was recognized for her hard work with an internship at ProMedica in Toledo. The six-month internship has been a challenge, but ultimately has been a rewarding experience during her final year of college.

“It has been an amazing struggle and journey so far,” Farmer said. “It is no joke that you have to be a student first.”

Farmer has successfully crossed the finish line in the race to finish her undergraduate degree, but her journey as a Falcon will continue in the fall. She has been accepted into the Master of Health Services Administration degree program, and will have the opportunity to complete her studies, while working full time in Columbus.

“At the moment, I am planning to take as many online classes as possible. I may come back to Bowling Green for a few classes in the future, but, for now, I want to start my career,” she said.

Farmer said she couldn’t be happier with her time as a student-athlete at BGSU and that the University surely lives up to its slogan: “Belong. Stand Out. Go Far.”