TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
All About Ash
OUR STORY
Aggie Sisters in Healthcare was founded in September 2015 by 2015-2016 President Olivia Tomasco upon realizing that there is a need for an organization that exists to support, empower, and motivate women in stressful undergraduate career paths, some of whom will eventually go into healthcare fields where women are largely underrepresented. She reached out to see if anyone else shared the same vision and thus established the team of 2015-2016 founding officers: Gabby Reyes, Vice President; Megan Whitlock, Secretary; Gaby Ertl, Treasurer; Katie Byers, Public Relations; Erin Rochat, Events and Fundraising.
The sisterhood and peer mentorship provides members with emotional and academic support. In ASH, members have sisters and mentors that they can rely on to ease the anxieties and stress that are sometimes associated with pre-health majors as well as access to knowledge and tips from mentors/Bigs who have been through it before. Mentors have the opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills as they provide support and motivation to their Littles while they navigate their way through their undergraduate career. As new members are accepted into ASH, Littles have the opportunity to become mentors for the new members and take on the supportive role. Members are divided into subcommittees that pertain to their field of interest, such as pre-dental, pre-medical, pre-vet, pre-nursing, pre-therapy, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician assistant. Members benefit by having Bigs/Littles within their own healthcare branch subcommittee.
In addition to sisterhood and peer mentorship, biweekly meetings host speakers and provide presentations intending to enrich and educate members on the various healthcare fields that they will be going into. These give ASH members insight on what it is like to be a woman in various healthcare fields and their experiences in undergrad and beyond.
A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER
Howdy!
My name is Olivia Tomasco, founder of Aggie Sisters in Healthcare, and I am a proud member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2015! I was a pre-medical student at A&M and will be pursuing a career in medicine. I am working full time at the American Cancer Society in Austin, Texas helping cancer patients during my gap year(s). I am so happy that you are interested in learning more about Aggie Sisters in Healthcare! I started this organization to support, motivate, and empower Aggie women who are pursuing careers in the healthcare field!
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Healthcare careers and majors can be challenging academically, mentally, and emotionally. Furthermore, women have often been underrepresented or disadvantaged in these careers. I was inspired to start this organization because I wanted Aggie women pursuing these careers to have the support of a sisterhood and mentors behind them who understand their major and what they are going through to help them be successful throughout their college years. I was also inspired by the idea of having an organization that can provide invaluable resources to empower and motivate its members, such as volunteer/shadowing opportunities, networking opportunities, leadership opportunities, study groups, and so much more. Most importantly of these resources, however, is the unwavering support of friendship and sisterhood!
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The first year of ASH was extremely successful and proved that an organization like this does benefit Aggie women. I was infinitely inspired and constantly driven by the strength and diversity of the women pursuing these careers at Texas A&M. We had an overwhelming ~400 Aggie women join our prospective members before the application process, which absolutely blew me away. While our first year was wonderful, I know that as the years go on, ASH will be able to become even better for the women it serves!
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I believe that Aggie women are smart, talented, and strong. The people we surround ourselves with can make us stronger. Aggie Sisters in Healthcare exists to provide that strength, friendship, and support to Aggie women pursuing healthcare careers. Let’s make this crazy ride as fun as possible while making friends and memories to last a lifetime!
Thanks and Gig ’Em!
Olivia Tomasco ‘15