‘Thank you for being one of those people’: Former Austin Peay student reconnects with professor 13 years later to express gratitude
(Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2023)
Oregon Health & Science University’s Dr. Sydney LeFay recently reconnected with Dr. Karen Meisch, now the dean of the College of STEM at Austin Peay State University, after coming across their correspondence from the end of 2010. The exchange stirred strong memories of Austin Peay for LeFay, and she decided to reach out to Meisch, 13 years later.
LeFay, a consult-liaison psychiatrist and adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University, credits her success in medical school to the support and guidance she received from the professors at Austin Peay.
“I come from a very underserved area, and going to college was a really big deal for me,” she said. “Their support was incredibly impactful for me. I decided to apply for medical school, which was again way outside of anything ever expected in my family.”
LeFay used the letters of recommendation from her Austin Peay professors to get into medical school and complete training, including a residency in psychiatry and a fellowship in consult-liaison psychiatry, also known as psychosomatic medicine.
“And now I do some teaching at Oregon Health & Science University and Samaritan Health Services psychiatry residency, and I see patients,” she said. “I’ve seen patients all over the world.”
LeFay spent about 16 months in New Zealand during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Thank you for being one of those people’
Earlier this year, LeFay decided to reconnect with Meisch, her genetics professor at Austin Peay, after reading their old emails.
In her email to Meisch on Feb. 20, she wrote:
“This is Sydney from many years ago. I was cleaning out old emails and stumbled upon our correspondence. I did get into that aging research program, managed to get through medical school, completed a residency in psychiatry, and went on to work in psychosomatic medicine, the bridge between psychiatry and the rest of medicine. Now I spend a lot of my time teaching at Oregon Health & Science Center and Samaritan Health residency programs. I didn't come from the kind of background that one expects of a doctor, and I still feel so grateful to have had incredible teachers who offered support along the way. Thank you, so sincerely, for being one of those people.”
In a March interview, LeFay explained why she reconnected.
“She was just so personable,” she said about Meisch. “She always made sure I got caught up. She was great to talk to and so excited about genetics, and it got me excited.”
LeFay also mentioned her other professors, Dr. Jordy Rocheleau and Dr. Willodean Burton, who helped her during her time at Austin Peay.
“I remember being able to speak up in class and talk with the professors,” she said. “That’s what kept me engaged. That’s what carried me through.”
LeFay graduated from a large Texas institution because of her partner’s change in duty stations, but she says her days at Austin Peay stick with her.
“I got a fine education, but I remember my classes at Austin Peay so much more,” she said.
The power of a nice note from an old student is not lost on LeFay, who wanted to reach out to Meisch to show her appreciation.
“I just kept remembering how anxious I was around that time when I was applying to schools and how helpful she was.”
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