Editor's note: NNUSports.com will be running Senior Spotlights on all the spring sports seniors who have elected not to come back for another year of eligibility.
 
Natalie Chehimi
Golfer from Eagle, Idaho
Major: Biology: Pre-Medicine
 
Natalie Chehimi has never taught a class or written a lesson plan.

As a Biology: Pre-Med major, those skills aren't often utilized.

But when the chance to do an internship for John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth came into her sights, she jumped.

"I just picked a subject and went through my old notes from class," she said. "I had amazing teachers at NNU, so it was easy to write a plan to be honest."

The internship is in Pennsylvania and was offered as two separate sessions. The first one was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Chehimi is hopeful the second session will go on in August.

"Basically, I'll be helping the instructor teach a class and set up labs and write some lesson plans," she said. "It's for high school and middle school kids who are getting a head start."

Chehimi is turning down the opportunity to come back to NNU next year after the NCAA ruled that all spring sports seniors have the option of an extra year of eligibility.

Instead, she plans on taking the MCAT in September and then taking a gap year before going to medical school.

Her desire to enter the medical field is to help people. Her grandma and her aunt are nurses, but otherwise there isn't a lot of medical personnel in her family.

"It was more of me wanting to find a way to help people the best way that I can," she said. "I've had cashier jobs and I love interacting with people and I want to help any way I can. So, being a doctor would be really rewarding to me."

Chehimi currently has a job working as a scribe for an eye doctor, which is the medical field she wants to pursue to become an ophthalmologist.

And while she thought about returning next year to play more golf, ultimately she decided to concentrate on her future career.

"It was really sad that I didn't get that last goodbye to my team, because I love my teammates and my coaches," she said. "It's nice I'll be here, though, and I can come to their home tournaments and play in their fundraiser. Most of my teammates live in Idaho, so I can still see them."

First, though, she has some teaching to do.
 
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