Putting in the immense effort to work toward a master's degree or doctorate requires passion, dedication and drive. In honor of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, we talked with students from our graduate schools about what in their field inspires them and how they want to use their Vanderbilt education to make things better in our communities, our country and our world.
Sameer Sundrani, doctor of medicine candidate
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
"I am entering a neurosurgical training program, and my goal is to combine the art of neurosurgery with advances in computer science to develop a better future for neurosurgery. I plan to tackle chronic pain, with a focus in psychosurgery," Sundrani said.
Niambi McLaurin, master of divinity candidate
Vanderbilt Divinity School
"As a master of divinity candidate, I am inspired by the ways theology informs every part of our lives. What people believe about God/Spirit/The Divine shows up in politics, health care, self-image, as well as how we choose to worship," McLaurin said.
"I want my work to break down the barriers we often place between the spiritual and the rest of our lives. In our society, spiritual care is compartmentalized to a day of the week or a particular place. I hope my work helps people recognize that it belongs in our everyday life in how we work, rest and care for ourselves and others," she said.
Kyle Smith, juris doctor candidate
Vanderbilt Law School
"What inspires me most about studying law is its potential to serve as a tool for confronting and remedying the enduring legacy of racial oppression, violence and discrimination that continue to shape our country. For me, this work is deeply personal and grounded in both my lived experiences and my long-standing commitment to racial justice," Smith said.
"I am pursuing a career in public interest law with a focus on civil rights and criminal justice reform, where I can advocate for individuals and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by inequitable systems. Through both litigation and policy, I hope to hold institutions accountable while also advancing reforms that expand access to justice and opportunity. Ultimately, what inspires me is not only the law's capacity to address injustice, but the responsibility to use it in a way that creates lasting, meaningful change," he said.
Caroline Castleman, doctor of medicine candidate
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
"I'm inspired by the resilience of patients and families I've worked with, and by the students and faculty around me who are always aiming to advance their care-especially at Shade Tree Clinic, where all providers are there on a volunteer basis," Castleman said.
"I hope to become a child psychiatrist, partnering with children and families to support not only their psychiatric health but also their well-being and function in their communities. There is so much happening in this country that is potentially harmful to children, from the influence of technology to legislation targeting queer and trans youth. I hope to both care for individual children in the psychiatric setting as they deal with these consequences, and advocate for their interests more broadly," she said.
Ritika Raghavan, doctor of philosophy candidate at Vanderbilt Brain Institute
School of Medicine Basic Sciences
"I study how GLP1R agonist drugs (such as Ozempic) induce weight loss, and it is inspiring to be able to contribute to studies that expand this clinically relevant field of research. Having struggled with obesity and now learning to be a researcher in this field, I feel inspired by the impact my research could have on the day-to-day lives of patients," Raghavan said.
"Our understanding of the way GLP1R agonists work also sheds light on the way obesity manifests itself as a disease. In my opinion, it is quite a unique situation where an effective 'cure' of the disease has sparked a global conversation on redefining the disease itself. … As a scientist aiming to expand this field, my responsibility lies in conducting appropriate experiments that deepen our understanding of the way these drugs work," she said.
Bailey Breedlove, doctor of nursing practice candidate, adult-gerontology acute care
Vanderbilt School of Nursing
"As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to intern with a health administrator at an assisted living and memory community, and I was given the chance to spend some time with the residents in the memory community. This initially made me a bit uneasy, as I had never been exposed to anyone with memory loss or cognitive decline. Sensing my discomfort, a spouse of one of the residents approached me and began talking with me about each of the residents. He intentionally shared their background stories; one had been a judge, another, an educator. They all had friends, family and community that came to spend time with them; they had lives and experiences worth knowing. I immediately felt more at ease; these were just people. I had been distracted by a disease process, temporarily allowing pathology to shade humanity. The next semester, I volunteered in the intensive care unit at the local community hospital. A nurse in the unit gently showed me the process of postmortem care, sharing how to honor the patient and to serve them with a final act of respect and dignity. These experiences inspired me to pursue nursing: a person-centered, service-oriented career where I could honor the human whose disease we were treating," Breedlove said.
Connor Campbell, master of marketing candidate
Owen Graduate School of Management
"In undergrad, I was both a human and organizational development and a cinema and media arts major at Vanderbilt, which allowed me to stretch both my strategic and creative mind. … Going to Owen and joining the [master's in marketing] program was the perfect step to take as I began to learn marketing theory and consumer behavior. It was the perfect complement to my two majors, as I can be strategic in my casework and creative with my projects. So what most inspires me is how I can use everything I've learned in my half-decade at Vanderbilt to find creative solutions to marketing problems, while continuing to expand upon that learning each day I enter the classroom," Campbell said.
Priscilla Agboada, master of business administration candidate
Owen Graduate School of Management
"For me, this comes down to a simple but deeply held belief: that better-run organizations create better lives for the people around them. When businesses operate effectively, they generate the kind of stability that allows communities to grow. Coming from Ghana, I've seen both the challenges and the enormous, untapped potential in developing economies. Many industries there are still in early stages of building the systems, processes and leadership cultures that allow organizations to scale and sustain impact. That's the gap I want to help close. With the strategic and leadership tools I'm developing at Vanderbilt, I hope to work with businesses and institutions to improve how they operate and make decisions, not just for profitability, but for broader community impact," Agboada said.
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