Pre-medicine major
Hometown: Findlay, Ohio  

Jeremy Mascaro is much more than an average non-traditional student; he will be a first-generation college graduate this spring.

As a pre-med major, Mascaro is busy. In addition to his course work, Mascaro is involved in the Pre-Med Club and is a member of two honor societies, Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi. He also has a wife and two young children at home. And until recently, he worked full time as a lead technician in the Blanchard Valley Hospital emergency room.

Mascaro decided to take a look at Findlay after hearing great reviews from coworkers at the hospital. He heard that the professors were great and really took their time with students and that graduates felt well prepared for their professions.

Once he visited campus, Mascaro decided that this was the place for him. The small class sizes and the research opportunities sealed the deal.

The decision to come here was an excellent one, according to Mascaro. He experienced all the good things he had heard and feels that he has received an excellent education.

As an example of the preparation Mascaro received, he was honored with the privilege of being one of only 17 to receive early acceptance to the University of Toledo College of Medicine for the fall of 2011.

Mascaro credits his successes to the encouraging and inspiring UF faculty. Two professors that stand out are: Matthew Stolick, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, and Michael Edelbrock, Ph.D., professor of biology and environmental, safety and health management.

“Dr. Stolick has taught me much more than just philosophy but about life itself. He has given me an entirely new way of looking at the world,” said Mascaro.

After taking a health care ethics course with Stolick, Mascaro was hooked and took every class with him that he could, including four this year alone. Mascaro also attributes his high verbal reasoning medical college admission test (MCAT) score directly to the degree of difficulty of the reading selections in Stolick’s classes.

“The talks I had with Dr. Stolick in my metaphysics class are some of the best memories I have here at Findlay. We would discuss ultimate reality, knowing it was impossible to be sure of our conclusions. This forced me to deliver arguments that I believed in and that would hold under scrutiny. Neither one of us would let the other off the hook. It was difficult and frustrating at times but well worth it. I learned a lot about myself during those conversations,” said Mascaro.

Stolick said of Mascaro, “He inspired me to pour myself out to him every class period, because I could see that he was taking in and understanding the information that I was teaching. As a professor, it is most rewarding, and the best sort of insurance that we will make some sort of difference in the future, to come across a student like Jeremy.”

Dr. Michael Edelbrock works with Jeremy in a laboratory on campus.

Some of the most difficult and most rewarding classes that Mascaro has taken were with Edelbrock. “He took an active role in my education and was always there to answer any questions I had. He is someone I would consider a friend as well as a professor,” said Mascaro.

In terms of preparation for the future, Mascaro notes that the research opportunities provided at Findlay were specific and catered toward benefiting him in the future in medical school and as a doctor.

“I had never worked in a lab prior to my research with Dr. Edelbrock. There are a lot of things that need to be done in a certain order to be successful. I feel that what I learned in class, as well as in the lab, with Dr. Edelbrock has well prepared me for my upcoming medical school curriculum.”

Always wanting more, Mascaro joined the Pre-Med Club in an effort to meet and network with other students and professionals in the medical field. He was able to learn a lot about the admissions process and what to expect from the medical school curriculum. Through this, he felt comfortable making decisions during the medical school selection and application processes. 

Mascaro’s activity at Findlay is the start of a second career path.

Previously, he served as the youngest senior general manager for a national retail company. He oversaw the entire Chicago territory for the company and was responsible for all aspects of the 15 stores he managed. Additionally, he continued to run the Chicago territory while also serving as general manager for the company’s Michigan territory and doing sales training throughout the Midwest.

He worked his way up through the company from customer service representative in the company’s call center to senior general manager and not surprisingly, received MVP from the company, twice.

Offering advice to incoming freshmen, Mascaro says, “Take an active role in your education and make the most of it. I feel I have accomplished a lot at the University and am proud of what I have done. I know I would not feel this way if I just did the minimum and made it easy on myself.”

A Findlay resident, Mascaro lives with his wife, Betsey, and their two young children.

By Elizabeth Scarff