Christina Schroedle ’19: Carrying the Scecina Mission into Modern Medicine

Christina Schroedle ’19: Carrying the Scecina Mission into Modern Medicine

From the moment she stepped into Scecina Memorial High School as a freshman, Christina Schroedle ’19 embraced every opportunity to learn, lead, and grow. She came to Scecina from St. Simon the Apostle Catholic School, where her family are longtime parishioners, bringing with her a strong faith foundation and a readiness to be involved. At Scecina, she joined clubs, tried new sports, traveled abroad, and took on leadership roles that would prepare her for the rigors of college and the challenges of a career in medicine.

Those experiences, friendships, and values, she says, are the reason she is where she is today as a second-year student at Marian University’s Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine, pursuing her dream of becoming a physician.

This past summer, she worked at the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, where she collaborated with Dr. Devon Conway on research in neuroimmunology, focusing on multiple sclerosis. Her project studied the drug Ozanimod, tracking how patients respond to the newly approved medication in real-world clinical settings.

“This kind of follow-up hasn’t been done before with this new drug, so I’m excited to see what we learned,” she said.

Christina’s path to medical school began after graduating from Scecina and enrolling at the University of Dayton, where she found a campus culture that, like Scecina, was rooted in community and service. She balanced lectures, labs, and long study sessions with shifts as an emergency medical technician (EMT), responding to calls and helping patients in need.

She graduated from the University of Dayton in 2023 with a degree in pre-medicine and minors in psychology, biology, and neuroscience. To deepen her clinical experience before starting medical school, she joined the Medical Observation and Scribe Training (MOST) Fellowship, a prestigious program hosted at the Cleveland Clinic in collaboration with Stanford University.

“During this year-long experience, I had the opportunity to lead and engage in various clinical workshops and presentations, work as a medical scribe, and shadow a diverse group of physicians,” she said.

Christina’s ability to thrive in those demanding environments began years earlier at Scecina. “Choosing to attend Scecina was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” she said. “The smaller class sizes let me get involved in so many activities, from student council to clubs and sports. I always felt seen, heard, and supported by both my peers and the faculty.”

Her time at Scecina was filled with new challenges. She joined the swim team with no prior experience, played volleyball, participated in the spring musical, and served as a student council officer, Key Club member, and student ambassador. She also formed a close group of friends during summer volleyball conditioning before her freshman year. “We are still best friends,” she said. “I truly credit Scecina for these relationships.”

Those early leadership opportunities were a stepping stone for many more to come. In college, she took executive roles in her sorority and led service events. As a medical student, she continues to pursue leadership opportunities through interest groups and community outreach. “The foundation for all of that was built at Scecina, where I was encouraged, supported, and challenged to grow every step of the way,” she said.

Christina believes in staying connected to the school that gave her so much. “It is more than just a high school; it is a family,” she said. “Staying connected allows me to give back to the community that gave so much to me. It is important to celebrate each other’s growth and support future generations of Crusaders.”