Lauren Kent Math and Science Major Travels to Africa See her story on page 4

Dr. Carla Over<strong>to</strong>n
At age 8, Carla Over<strong>to</strong>n already had the idea in <strong>her</strong> head that she would
someday become a doc<strong>to</strong>r. For one reason, “I was a wicked book nerd”
<strong>and</strong> fascinated with s<strong>to</strong>ries about people battling illnesses, she said. She is
one of four children of Ralph “S<strong>and</strong>y” Over<strong>to</strong>n, Adams, <strong>and</strong> Elaine Over<strong>to</strong>n,
Water<strong>to</strong>wn. Her mot<strong>her</strong> had also worked as a nurse for many years at a
Water<strong>to</strong>wn medical practice.
When she graduated from Water<strong>to</strong>wn High School in 2001, she was not
yet ready <strong>to</strong> spread <strong>her</strong> wings. “I was a homebody <strong>and</strong> at the time, t<strong>her</strong>e
wasn’t any particular college outside the area that I had a strong interest
in attending,” she said. She decided <strong>to</strong> enroll in the mathematics <strong>and</strong>
science degree program at Jefferson Community College, w<strong>her</strong>e she met
“some amazing professors, <strong>to</strong>ok some very interesting classes, <strong>and</strong> received
a lot of personal attention,” Dr. Over<strong>to</strong>n said. “I gained a lot of confidence
at JCC,” she said. “It prepared me <strong>to</strong> transfer <strong>to</strong> a four-year college.”
Pho<strong>to</strong> courtesy of AFM Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy
While at Jefferson, Dr. Over<strong>to</strong>n was awarded the JCC Outst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>Science</strong> Student Award <strong>and</strong> the Faculty Association Outst<strong>and</strong>ing
Student Award. It was not only through <strong>her</strong> classes, but also through <strong>her</strong> involvement in programs on the campus, such as tu<strong>to</strong>ring
ot<strong>her</strong> students <strong>and</strong> giving campus <strong>to</strong>urs, that helped <strong>her</strong> become more outgoing <strong>and</strong> confident, she said. Dr. Over<strong>to</strong>n also served as
Vice President of Student Government at JCC.
During <strong>her</strong> second year at Jefferson, she spent <strong>her</strong> spring break traveling with a group of physicians <strong>and</strong> ot<strong>her</strong> healthcare providers <strong>to</strong>
the Dominican Republic, w<strong>her</strong>e they worked out of a mobile clinic. That experience furt<strong>her</strong> reinforced <strong>her</strong> decision <strong>to</strong> enter the field
of medicine. After graduating from JCC in 2003, Dr. Over<strong>to</strong>n enrolled in the pre-med program at Cornell University. Staff at JCC were
instrumental in helping <strong>her</strong> with transfer credits. In two years, she earned a bachelor’s degree in <strong>Science</strong>-Human Biology Health <strong>and</strong>
Society from Cornell, applied <strong>to</strong> medical school <strong>and</strong> then decided <strong>to</strong> withdraw <strong>her</strong> medical school applications in order <strong>to</strong> spend some
time learning outside the classroom before starting the rigorous program of study.
She taught fifth-grade in a low-income area in Baltimore, Maryl<strong>and</strong>, through the Teach for America Corps Program, <strong>and</strong> also pursued
graduate work in Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Then she decided it was time <strong>to</strong> return <strong>to</strong> New York State <strong>to</strong> finish
what she had started.
She applied <strong>and</strong> was accepted <strong>to</strong> Upstate Medical University, <strong>and</strong> graduated four years later in 2011 with a Doc<strong>to</strong>r of Medicine degree.
During <strong>her</strong> time at Upstate, she also worked in a few more medical assistance trips <strong>to</strong> underserved areas in Peru <strong>and</strong> Costa Rica. Dr.
Over<strong>to</strong>n then completed a three-year residency in pediatrics, also at Upstate Medical University, in 2014.
Dr. Over<strong>to</strong>n, 33, is married <strong>to</strong> Michael Walsh, an engineer in Syracuse. They have two daughters, Tessa, 3, <strong>and</strong> Holly, 1.
Danielle DeBona <strong>and</strong> Jordan Sawyer
Both Danielle DeBona <strong>and</strong> Jordan Sawyer knew they wanted <strong>to</strong> work in
the healthcare field after graduating from high school, but neit<strong>her</strong> was
sure which specific career path <strong>to</strong> pursue. The couple, who were married
last summer, decided their best option was <strong>to</strong> start at Jefferson.
Ms. DeBona, a 2009 graduate of General Brown Central School District,
was awarded the Jefferson-Can Community Scholars Program. This
program of the Nort<strong>her</strong>n New York Community Foundation, in partnership
with the JCC Foundation, provides full tuition first-year scholarships
for students in Jefferson <strong>and</strong> Lewis counties graduating in the <strong>to</strong>p 15% of
their high school class, after all ot<strong>her</strong> financial aid is applied.
“After I graduated from high school, I <strong>to</strong>ok advantage of staying at home
<strong>and</strong> attending my first year of college for free at JCC,” she said. “I was
Pho<strong>to</strong> courtesy of AFM Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy
unsure what career I wanted <strong>to</strong> pursue at that time, so it made sense <strong>to</strong>
stay local <strong>and</strong> give myself time <strong>to</strong> figure it out.” JCC professors helped <strong>her</strong> gain practical experience by referring <strong>her</strong> <strong>to</strong> the Fort Drum
Regional Health Planning Organization, which provided <strong>her</strong> an internship in radiation t<strong>her</strong>apy. “I was able <strong>to</strong> shadow a radiation
t<strong>her</strong>apist <strong>to</strong> get a better underst<strong>and</strong>ing of what they did on a day-<strong>to</strong>-day basis,” she said. “After deciding this was the field I wanted <strong>to</strong>
pursue, t<strong>her</strong>e were many professors at JCC who helped me achieve my goal.”
One way was <strong>to</strong> make sure she had met all the prerequisites required <strong>to</strong> start at Upstate Medical University upon graduation from JCC,
she said. Not only did attending Jefferson save both <strong>her</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>her</strong> husb<strong>and</strong> money, but it “definitely prepared us <strong>to</strong> furt<strong>her</strong> our education,”
said Ms. DeBona.
(Continued on next page)
Jefferson Insider - Volume 14 • 15