Alex Germano originally intended to be a college graduate with a journalism degree.

He was just shy of earning the degree from IU Bloomington when he returned home to Louisville in the summer 2007 to work, and to finish his coursework at IU Southeast.

“I was six hours short of graduating going into the summer, so I just came home, got a job and decided to finish up at IUS,” Germano said.

Germano works at Baptist Hospital East as a nurse’s assistant. He will finish his journalism degree this semester, then begin taking pre-med courses in the spring.

He cites frustration with the direction of the media industry for driving him away from a career in journalism.

“As a journalism student studying and researching the craft, I was turned off by the way it was heading,” Germano said. “Papers and TV networks are becoming increasingly dominated by corporate conglomerates. Working for a conglomerate, it’s hard to give something back. I feel like I’d be able to give a lot back in medicine.

“When I came back, I originally wanted to go into the Peace Corps,” Germano said. “I thought nursing would give me some good training and some relevant experience.”

As Germano continued to work 12-hour shifts at the hospital, he said he had a change of heart, realizing he wanted to attend medical school and become a physician.

“I decided that Peace Corps was no longer an immediate goal, and I wanted to go to medical school,” Germano said. “My dad was an ER physician, and I’ve always admired what he did.”

Philanthropy and community service have always been an integral part of Germano’s life, volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters throughout college and organizing community service projects while a student at Trinity High School.

Germano said he plans on continuing in that direction when he becomes a physician.

“I’m really interested in doing Doctors Without Borders when fully trained,” he said. “They do some great things in third world and war torn countries. That’s how I plan on giving back.”

Germano said he loves politics and frequently can be found at Heine Brothers in the Highlands engaging in lively political discussions with friends and his girlfriend, a professional theater actress.

“I love debates, and I love ideas,” he said. “I never say ‘no’ to opinions, because that narrows a conversation and often stops it in its tracks. I just try to be respectful and keep an open mind.”

By ZAK OWENS
Staff Writer
zowens@ius.edu