While most Wake Forest students went home after learning that classes would be taught remotely for the remainder of the semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis Feldman headed to New York to work in a hospital built for coronavirus patients.
During the six-week stint, he lived with other volunteers in a New Jersey hotel across the river from Manhattan. He worked as a medic from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. in Unit A1 of the Ryan Larkin Field Hospital, a tent hospital that was erected in a soccer field at Columbia University, across from New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital.
He is unequivocal in saying that working in New York would not have been possible without support from his professors. Biology professor Regina Cordy reached out to Feldman while he was in New York, as did Professor Jim Curran and Professor Susan Fahrbach, chair of the Biology Department.
“I asked them how could I maintain my academics while also going to New York,” Feldman said. “Their response was, ‘let us know what we can do.’ They were willing to hold office hours at odd times, they answered emails to me and were very accommodating. It was really encouraging to see your professors reach out to you one-on-one to see how you were doing, not as a student but as a human being.”
I was very impressed with Davis for taking on this act of selflessness and for wanting to help others at their time of need.” – Dr. Regina Cordy, Assistant Professor of Biology
You may read more from author Laurie D. Willis at Wake Forest News.