Joey Dorgan Jr. '21

Joey Dorgan Jr. '21 has been spending the summer working at the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, which focuses on improving the mental health of individuals with disabilities. After graduating from Knox, he plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in sports medicine.

Please describe your Power of Experience opportunity.

In my Power of Experience opportunity, I have been fortunate enough to be doing pediatric research at the University of Iowa. While in the clinic, we have been identifying what causes [many] of the behavioral issues the children display, followed by treatment methods for the child and their parents to use in their daily routines. From the clinic, we have gathered data to determine the quality of parental-child interaction and many techniques for improvement. 

In my experience, I [also] was fortunate enough to develop a research project of my own which I plan to have published in the near future. 

How has your Power of Experience grant helped you?

The grant money was extremely helpful and has helped pay for rent, utility expenses, transportation costs, and groceries. 

How do you think this experience will help you as you complete your bachelor's degree and consider life after Knox? 

The experience that I’ve had this summer has been extremely rewarding for my career path in medicine. More specifically, I have gained a great deal of knowledge while in the clinic and have gotten exposure to the research which I plan on continuing while at Knox this fall. 

What else would you like to mention?

The Power of Experience Grant was a sneak peek into adulthood and life after Knox. I gained a great amount of responsibility during my experience with things such as managing your income, paying for your living expenses, and getting familiar with the work field. 

Photo at top of the page: Joey Dorgan '21, second from right, with colleagues at the University of Iowa.