Kristyn Heagan, a New Concord native, graduated from Muskingum in 2013 with a major in middle childhood education with a concentration in math and science.
After graduating, Kristyn decided to attend graduate school to become a physician assistant. She went to Marietta College, where she graduated with her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies in 2015 and began working in neurosurgery at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. After a year and a half at Riverside, Heagan began working in orthopedic spine surgery at OrthoNeuro in New Albany, Ohio.
Kristyn says, “Many people thought it was odd that I majored in education in undergrad and then went onto to pursue my graduate degree in a completely different field in physician assistant studies. I always had interest in education as well as medicine, so throughout undergraduate studies I took the classes that would allow me to pursue a career in either field. I job shadowed with several local physicians and healthcare providers and fell in love with medicine so ultimately decided to pursue graduate studies in the medical field.”
“I had a wonderful experience at Muskingum. I had engaging professors and classes, and I had an advisor who encouraged me to not necessarily follow the norm but to pursue a path that I felt was right for me. I was always grateful for that encouragement.”
Heagan played for the softball team and she says of that experience, “I learned a lot and gained a toughness and understanding of what it takes to be a leader through my experience on the softball team.”