Senior Spotlight

Eric Beecham, ’22, began his second year as the elected president of the Student Government Association fresh off a medical explorations program. Each day for two weeks he visited the University of Tennessee Medical Center and followed physicians who were practicing medicine in different capacities in the hospital. He observed their work, asked them questions, and participated in Q & A sessions and ethics discussions with doctors, med students, and others.

“I absolutely loved the program,” Eric said. “Seeing new and interesting things in medicine was fun on its own, but I also met and developed relationships with fantastic physicians who gave me great advice as to how to be the best giver of care when I become a doctor in the future.”

Eric’s family has always been in medicine, and he has always enjoyed science, so he wanted to be a doctor from a very young age. As he grew up, he met doctors who made him take a closer look at his reason why.

“I have seen doctors save the lives of close personal friends, and I have seen doctors act like long-time buddies with first-time patients,” he said. “Those are the two reasons I want to be a doctor: to save lives and develop relationships with patients."

Graduating from Cumberlands will be one of the most bittersweet moments of his life, he says. He has had a great time here making strong friendships, wrestling for the university, growing as a leader by presiding over SGA, and gaining a wealth of knowledge about biology, chemistry, and the human body that have prepared him for better success in med school and as a future physician. By his fourth year here, it is hard for him to imagine life outside of Williamsburg. He is excited to move on and begin a career, but he will miss being on campus every day.

“The people, the memories, even the late nights studying and the difficult afternoons spent in grueling wrestling practices will be sorely missed. But I know these four years have completely prepared me for the next step in life,” Eric said.

He added, “The most valuable part of my college experience are the friends I made. I believe that life truly revolves around the people you are surrounded by. The people surrounding me at Cumberlands are my best friends, and they are the reason the past four years have been the best of my life. I have developed the strongest bonds I have ever seen through the friendships I've made here.”

After graduation, Eric plans on attending medical school at Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he has already been accepted into the program. After finishing his time there, he will be ready to “tackle a career in medicine” and care for patients the way he believes God has called him to do.