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Christopher Doughty ’04 thinks fondly of his alma mater as a school that delivers an excellent
education while encouraging its students to be well-rounded, generous young people. Quite a
nod of approval from this Harvard Medical School student.
As an only child, he attended St. Matthias School before matriculating to SFD. During his high
school years he managed to become involved in all aspects of the school. Chris was actively
involved with the golf and track team, and even though he acknowledged that he wasn’t the most
stellar athlete, he learned a lot about himself by being a part of a team. His senior year he landed
the lead male role, Nathan Detroit, in the spring musical,
Guys and Dolls
. While starring in
this role he took the phrase “break a leg” a little too seriously and dislocated his knee cap before
a performance. Chris also served as a student leader on the Kairos retreat his senior year.
Having always been the “smart kid,” everyone assumed that Chris would become a doctor. Try
as he may to dislike medicine, despite his natural inclination to science courses, Chris couldn’t
stay away, especially after taking Mrs. Molly Barrett’s Advanced Biology class. According to
Chris, she taught every lesson with an incredible level of excitement that you just couldn’t
help but get excited about the material yourself. Chris was instantly fascinated by all the
intricate and amazing ways the body worked. He grew a greater appreciation for the sciences
in Mrs. Linda Crandall’s AP Psychology
class. Chris remembered being dumb-
founded by how the brain could cause
vivid and convincing distortions of
reality in a person with schizophrenia.
He continually wondered what was
going on in the brain when a person
was depressed, manic or anxious. His
curiosity in both courses led him to
his major, Psychology and Professional
Studies (PreMed).
Chris attended the University of
Notre Dame on the Glenna R. Joyce
Scholarship. While a student there he was able to enjoy a wide variety of activities in addition
to his academic course load. Some of his fondest memories involve sitting in the student
section during home football games. He was also extensively involved in student government,
serving as class vice president his freshman, sophomore and senior years. If this didn’t keep
him busy enough he also volunteered at a local clinic for the uninsured and underserved. This
is what served as his inspiration for his senior thesis. In addition to this, Chris was able to
spend a semester in London studying, and a summer living inWashington DC working for the
Department of Health and Human Services.
Chris will graduate from Harvard Medical School in May 2013. Chris was selected for the
Clinical Research Fellowship Program at Harvard and received a grant from the Doris Duke
Charitable Foundation to support his year of research. He worked with Dr. Gottfried Schlaug
studying stroke recovery, and the use of advanced imaging techniques to help predict the extent
of recovery from motor dysfunction or swallowing problems. Chris has chosen to go into
Neurology and is applying for residency training this fall. As he wraps up his electives, he is
currently focusing onMedical Spanish,whichwill concludewith twomonths in a LatinAmerican
country working in a hospital or clinic so that he can become proficient in the language.
His love for academic growth, passion for service, commitment to help others and a desire
to maintain balance in his life is easily seen. Chris gives SFD one more reason to be proud
of its alums.
CLASS NOTES
Danielle (Edsinger)
Peifer ’04
, was
married at St. Anthony
Church on December
17, 2011, to Brian
Peifer (pictured
right). They are both
graduates of The
Ohio State University.
Danielle is currently a Doctoral Physical
Therapy Candidate at Mercer University
in Atlanta, GA (where they reside); Brian
graduated with a doctorate in pharmacy this
May fromMercer University.
Michael Coyle, class of
2007
, graduated from
Arizona State University
on May 2, 2012, with a
Bachelor of Science (Cum
Laude) in Landscape
Architecture. He is now
employed by Wood
Landscaping.
Bobby Niehaus ’08,
traveled with 65
members of the Notre
Dame Band to Ireland
for St. Patrick’s Day
this past March.
Pictured right is Bobby
with the LordMayor of
Mallow, Ireland.
Kyle Thompson ’09
,
left for Fort Benning on January 3, 2012. He
spent the next 5months inGeorgia, followed
by a short trip home, and is nowat his station
assignment, where he will be for 5 years.
Since January 2012,
Nell Seggerson
’09
has been a Program Leader for a
grassroots environmental organization in
her neighborhood called LETSGO Chicago
(Leading the Energy Transition, Sprouting
Green Opportunity). This summer, her team
is teaching free gardening and cooking
classes to children from the neighborhood,
and are developing a Green infrastructure
business to build and install rain barrels,
and environmentally friendly landscaping.
Clinton James ’11
has enjoyed two successful
internships while at Morehead State Univer-
sity; one at Chick-fil-A and another at Google.
An Ivy League Success