“I will strive to have patients reach higher levels of success when I am a physical therapist.”

— Rachel Lee, recipient of the 2011 & 2013 Naibert Scholarship

Rachel Lee was already an accomplished athlete in 2006 when a sports injury her senior year of high school opened the door to a career in physical therapy.

“An incredibly enlightening experience that I had working with a physical therapist opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about the body,” Lee said. “It turned out to be the most influential injury I have ever had.”

Five years later, the recent graduate of the University of North Dakota and four-year Division I swimmer is preparing to start a master’s program at Pacific University in Portland this fall to become a physical therapist. And for the second time, Lee is receiving financial aid from The Corvallis Clinic Foundation as she pursues a career of caring for others.

Rachel Lee is the 2011 recipient of the $1,000 Naibert Scholarship, an endowed scholarship in honor of Dr. James R. Naibert, who works in The Corvallis Clinic’s Immediate Care Center and previously was a family physician for 11 years at The Corvallis Clinic’s Waverly Drive/Albany office. His patients chose to recognize his efforts by establishing the scholarship for area students who demonstrate an interest in working in a health-related profession that involves direct patient care. Lee had previously been awarded the Riley Scholarship from The Corvallis Clinic Foundation.

Between her junior and senior years in college, Lee completed more than 150 hours of observation with two local physical therapists, including The Corvallis Clinic’s Matthew Corn, PT. Corn said Lee’s compassion for others helped him to rediscover his own passion for being a physical therapist.

“She clearly has a keen grasp of the patient’s emotional and psychological state and how it ties into treating the patient,” Corn said. “This is not an attribute of the classroom, but a component of her character that will serve her well as a future physical therapist.”

Lee’s friendly personality and outgoing demeanor have earned her numerous recognitions, including being named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American for three years. She received the highest honors in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award, and in 4-H, the Benton County Medal. She was the 2007 Future First Citizen of Corvallis, the 2007 Kiwanis Student of the Year, and won the 2007 Benton County Foundation Founder’s award for exceptional service to others. Lee has been an active volunteer, participating in community services projects in schools, at food banks and soup kitchens, animal shelters and with the Special Olympics.

“Volunteering in my community has taught me the value of caring. I realized that patience, caring and optimism can make a difference in the lives of others,” Lee said. “I will strive to have patients reach higher levels of success when I am a physical therapist.”

When Dr. Naibert met Lee, he discovered they share a passion for bicycling, a sport Lee picked up when she recently began competing in triathlons. Lee also enjoys photography, music and travel. A 2007 graduate of Crescent Valley High School, she is the daughter of Marianne Clausing-Lee and Kevin Lee of Corvallis.

“I hope my education and training is only the beginning of what is to come in my future.”

— Tiffany Phillips, recipient of the 2008 Naibert Scholarship

Tiffany Phillips, the first ever winner of the Corvallis Clinic Foundation’s James R. Naibert Scholarship, will complete her final year of Oregon Institute of Technology’s radiology science program in an externship at The Corvallis Clinic.

The Naibert Scholarship is named in honor of James R. Naibert, who works in The Corvallis Clinic’s Immediate Care Center and previously was a family physician for 11 years at The Corvallis Clinic’s Waverly Drive/Albany office. His patients chose to recognize his efforts by establishing the scholarship for area students who demonstrate an interest in working in a health-related profession that involves direct patient care.

Five years ago, Phillips walked away from her job as a restaurant prep cook to enroll in college, only to learn two months later that she was pregnant. But her feet were already planted on a path of self-determination, leading her away from a life of poverty. Phillip’s journey will culminate at graduation next spring, when she becomes the first person in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Since arriving at The Clinic, Phillips said she’s getting used to wearing a white coat and the realization of her dreams coming true. She hopes to make a difference in the lives of her patients, as well as her 4-year-old daughter.

“I hope my education and training is only the beginning of what is to come in my future,” Phillips said.

The youngest girl from a blended family with eight children, Phillips grew up in Mill City in rural Linn County, where her father worked at the lumber mill. When the mill closed, her father became a mechanic, but her family was not well off financially. Phillips and her brothers and sisters started working at a young age to help support the family. She recalled times when she ate at friends’ houses because there wasn’t enough food at home.

In high school, Phillips was captain of the cheerleading squad and sang in the choir. She kept good grades, graduating with her twin sister in 2000. But Phillips dismissed the idea of continuing her education because she didn’t think she could afford it.

“I thought, ‘There’s no way I can go to college,’” she said.

So she worked in restaurants. But after a few years of hard work and barely making more than minimum wage, she’d had enough.

“This was not how I wanted to live my life,” she said.

Phillips discovered a program to match her artistic abilities and her interest in healthcare at OIT. She struggled to make As and Bs with the school’s stiff grading curve and overcame test anxiety. She accepted public assistance, lived off food stamps, and eventually received subsidized housing. Her daughter attended childcare while she was in class.

Phillips said she’s grateful for the generosity and encouragement she received, including the $1,000 Naibert Scholarship from The Corvallis Clinic Foundation.

She’s also grateful for her parents’ love and direction. Her father encouraged the women in her family to be strong-willed and confident. And though her mother never learned to read or write, she had endless patience and devotion.

The move to Corvallis has brought Phillips closer to her parents, who now live in Salem. She said her mother is practicing writing, and reading the easy-reader books to her granddaughter. Phillips has even inspired a sister-in-law to go back to school, and she encourages others to pursue their dreams.

“If I can do it,” she said, “anyone can.”

“My own experience is really what inspires me to pursue a career in speech therapy.”

— Erin Ortiz, recipient of a 2011 Corvallis Clinic Foundation Health Occupations Scholarship

Each year, The Corvallis Clinic Foundation funds scholarships for five area high school students who have decided to pursue a career in a health-related field. Erin Ortiz, a 2011 Crescent Valley High School graduate, was awarded a $250 Health Occupations Scholarship.

“ I am interested in becoming a Speech Therapist because I greatly benefitted from speech therapy myself when I was a child,” Ortiz said. “For two years during preschool and kindergarten, I met with a speech therapist on a regular basis. Improving my speech really helped my confidence. I was naturally shy and not having people understand me made me even more reluctant to talk and interact.”

Those childhood insights into the good a speech therapist can do were recently reinforced for Ortiz. “This past summer, I had major surgery on my upper and lower jaw and I again experienced the frustration of talking and not being understood,” she said. “It took me over a month to talk and be understood. My own experience is really what inspires me to pursue a career in speech therapy.”

Ortiz excelled at Crescent Valley, both in class and in extracurricular activities. She was an AP scholar, and a member of the National Honor Society. She was the 2010 MVP on the girls’ varsity track team, a member of the cross-country ski team, and the girls’ varsity soccer team. Ortiz was Principal Double Bass in the Camerata orchestra, 2010 District champion for solo Double Bass, and won fourth place in the State individual Bass competition. She was also president of the Students for Environmental Awareness Club, and a Link Crew leader for orienting incoming freshmen students.

Ortiz was actively engaged in service to the community, too. She was a Corvallis Safety Town Volunteer Teen Leader, Assistant Coach for the Girls on Track program, served in the Youth Volunteer Corps, was a member of the “Operation Smile” Club, and participated in student fundraisers for Children’s Miracle Network, the Jackson Street Youth Shelter, and Old Mill Center.

“I have taken challenging courses in high school, which have prepared me to successfully apply to colleges that will help me to achieve my goal of becoming a speech therapist,” Ortiz said. “I have been accepted into the Communication Science and Disorder major at both the University of Vermont and Western Washington University. I have also spoken with many speech therapists about their profession. At this point, I am interested in working in a hospital setting with stroke victims and others who have lost their speech abilities.”

“I learned to let things go and spend time with the people I love.”

— Marie-Louise Martinson, breast cancer survivor, Project H.E.R. recipient, 2012 Puttin’ on the Pink model

Marie-Louise Martinson didn’t have time for breast cancer in her life. She had three teenage girls to raise and a son to support in his first year away at college. Her “mum” and family lived thousands of miles away in Australia.

“My youngest daughter brought her homework to the hospital so she could be with me during treatments,” said Martinson describing how her daughters participated in her road to survivorship of breast cancer. All my girls took me shopping for head dressings for my balding head and we’d do our make up.”

Marie-Louise was indebted to her incredible Corvallis Clinic Foundation Project H.E.R. mentor, who cried with her as she poured her heart out.

“I wanted to win this…I learned to let things go, spend time with the people I love, and appreciate the loving, caring people around me.”

“I am excited to become part of the health care field and make more tomorrows happen for everyone.”

— Lisa Robinson, recipient of the 2012 Naibert Scholarship

Out of tragedy, some people are driven toward change, others to acceptance.

Lisa Robinson was still in high school when her dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. A volleyball standout at Philomath and an aspiring college athlete, she already paid close attention to what she ate and how it affected her body. Her dad’s illness made her acutely aware of how food can contribute to and also prevent disease.

“Unfortunately, my dad lost the battle, but it fueled my desire to help fight cancer and find a cure,” Robinson said. “I wanted to be a microbiologist or a chemist and spend my time in a lab searching for a way to stop mutant cells.” Then her focus turned to nutrition.

“I switched my attention from the lab idea of fixing the problem after it manifests to preventing the problem before it arises,” she said. “I began to dream of a world where everyone ate well, played, laughed and was free of disease.”

But it was a different trial that would lead her on a path of acceptance of the limitations of proper nutrition. Robinson’s husband, Kurt, has cystic fibrosis, and recently underwent a double lung transplant surgery.

“Though I wish it were so, I know that food cannot fix every disease,” Robinson said. “A genetic disease diagnosed at birth cannot be eliminated by simply eating your vegetables and walking 30 minutes a day.”

Through caring for her husband, she also learned the importance of personalized care that fits the needs of a patient.

“Health care is more than looking at charts and diagnosing problems,” Robinson said. “It also involves caring, kindness, understanding and patience. “Simply taking the time to smile and ask how a patient’s day is going makes a huge difference.”

Robinson is inspired to make a difference in people’s lives and is pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree in nutrition at Oregon State University, with help from The Corvallis Clinic Foundation. She is among the recipients of scholarships awarded to college and high school students to support the education of future doctors, nurses and other professionals in health-related careers. Robinson received the James R. Naibert Scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Naibert, who works in the Immediate Care Center at The Corvallis Clinic. The $1,000 scholarship is for students studying to work in a health-related profession involving direct patient care.

Robinson works as a youth volleyball coach and as a student health promotions assistant at OSU Student Health Center, where she coordinated cooking classes to teach students basic cooking skills. She also volunteers with the Student Dietetics Association, OSU’s Benton County Extension Office and Jackson Street Youth Shelter. These activities include cooking with youth, presenting information about healthy drinks to high schoolers and reading to children about nutrition.

Through her studies, the focus of her goal has sharpened around teaching kids the importance of physical activity and
eating right. She wants to develop a nutrition curriculum for schools.

“By teaching kids that eating well and exercising will make them more successful at what they love to do, from sports to crafts to living life, I hope to help them create new healthy habits,” Robinson said.
“I am excited to become part of the health care field and make more tomorrows happen for everyone.”