Elizabeth Clavell

UConn School of Nursing

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Clavell from Reading, PA. Reading is a diverse town, but it’s also struggling with homelessness and healthcare issues. However, the community is tight-knit, and people support each other, whether it’s through toy donations at Christmas or resource drives after a family suffers a house fire.

Over the past two years, I’ve worked as a teacher’s aide at Live ‘n Learn SMILE Center, supporting children’s learning and development. From May 2024 to January 2025, I also worked as a float pool patient care assistant at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, gaining patient care skills in fast-paced environments. I’ve volunteered at a food pantry, Covenant Soup Kitchen, and Teachers in the Parks, which provides educational summer camps for low-income students. During COVID-19, I made holiday ornaments for a senior living facility to brighten residents’ days.

I want to be involved in Urban Service Track because I believe that all people deserve high-quality healthcare regardless of barriers, and UST is helping to bridge that gap. I have the opportunity now to make a positive difference in someone’s healthcare. The future of healthcare should be preventative community health, where we provide patients with resources and empower them to take charge before they are faced with a serious condition. Being a part of UST will allow me to have patient experiences that I wouldn’t see in a traditional clinical setting and that will benefit my future patients. Additionally, I will learn from different disciplines and allow their knowledge to better educate the care I deliver.