Margo Deihl ('16)

Honors student Margo Deihl ('16) knew what she wanted from her college experience right from the start. "I've always wanted to do the very best possible in everything,” she says. And she seized numerous opportunities. A biology major in the pre-med program, she minored in music and non-profit studies, played in the JMU Symphony Orchestra as well as the Opera Orchestra, was heavily involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and also served as a resident advisor — and that’s the short list. Remarkably, she didn’t allow her intense battle with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma to deter her from achieving her goals. In fact, her medical condition informed her internship at the National Office of the Arthritis Foundation in Washington, D.C. “During meetings on Capitol Hill, I used my personal story when speaking to legislators and their office staff about the importance of the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House,” she says. Deihl is planning a career as a doctor and hopes to use her personal experiences to give her a greater connection with patients.