Catherine Cummings is dedicated to breaking down barriers. As a student at the University of Missouri, she joined Global Brigades, a nonprofit focused on health and sustainable development. Her goal was simple: to make healthcare more accessible.

“I joined Global Brigades at my freshman involvement fair,” says Cummings, a 2019 Legacy Awards recipient sponsored by Kansas City (Northland), Kan., Lodge No. 2376. “It wasn’t until later that I came to understand how the simple decision of skipping lunch to attend this fair could create such a profound impact on my life.”

Over the next four years, Cummings went on to volunteer in three medical brigades in Ghana and Panama, which gave Cummings the opportunity to serve in rural medical clinics where she taught patients about preventative healthcare, provided medication, took vitals, and much more. As a senior in college, she even led a brigade to Ghana.

“The experience of leading a brigade and providing medical care to people living in underserved rural areas was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, cementing my passion for becoming a physician,” says Cummings. “What made this service opportunity so meaningful was the people we served; we saw 611 patients.”

When Cummings isn’t busy breaking down barriers across the world, she’s tackling them in her own backyard. After Cummings expressed the desire to volunteer at a local homeless shelter, she was told the area it was in was “unsafe.” This idea kept her from volunteering until an Elk stepped in.

“He explained that areas considered ‘unsafe’ are called this because these are the areas that need help most,” says Cummings. “As he said that, I realized how important it is to work with people in communities that are often forgotten or ignored.”

As Cummings begins medical school, she aims to continue breaking down barriers—this time, in cardiology.

“I’ve learned a lot about how women’s hearts differ from men’s and how women are underrepresented in cardiovascular research,” says Cummings. “As a physician, I hope to advance women’s heart health through tailored preventative research.”

With the Weigel scholarship, Cummings will attend the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.