Chris Arnold ’20 may have left campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t keep him from teaching Zumba to the Berry community. Chris took his moves to Instagram Live, where he taught virtual classes through May. Dancing is an outlet for the biochemistry major, who recently graduated with plans to attend medical school.
When Chris came to Berry as a freshman, he saw himself as an introvert, but the active campus culture and endless opportunities to become involved shaped him into an outgoing, spirited leader. “I love being around other people, spreading good energy wherever I go,” he says.
While balancing rigorous studies, Chris became a Zumba teacher in his sophomore year, and inspired students and faculty to get healthy in an exciting way. Chris also served as the head student orientation leader in 2018, leading a team of 18 student workers in the job of welcoming over 500 first-year students to Berry.
“Working as head orientation leader as well as in the sports medicine department on campus were both my favorite work positions,” Chris says.
These experiences allowed Chris to forge relationships with Vice President for Student Affairs Lindsey Taylor and Head Athletic Trainer Brandon Williamson. He says, “They were my most influential mentors at Berry. Both were successful in building me up to think and act as a leader, not only on campus but in preparation to lead outside of Berry as well.”
“Chris is a multi-talented, fun-loving, hard-working young man with a larger than life personality,” Williamson says. “With his unstoppable determination and commitment, he will change the world for the better.”
Taylor agrees: “There is a Chris Arnold-sized hole left in the Berry community. Chris left as much of an impression on me as I ever made on him. He has an infectious personality, and he will rise to every challenge.”
Chris’ drive and passion for his dream of medicine led him to an internship at Redmond Regional Medical Center, where he worked as a medical scribe in the summer of 2019 through spring 2020. “This job allowed me to see the lives of different doctors and painted a picture of what that life will look like for me,” Chris says. “As a scribe, I am tasked with updating charts and taking notes for physicians so that they can spend more time with the patient instead of being bogged down in the paperwork.”
Always upbeat, Chris is currently applying to medical schools. To future Berry students, he says, “Never let anyone or anything hinder you from trying something new and exciting.”
