Years at Camp: 3 on staff (tennis and canoeing)
Hometown: Rome, GA
Current Location: Raleigh, NC
Background and Profession:
- Undergraduate education and medical school, UNC-Chapel Hill
- WakeMed Heart & Vascular – Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Alden Parsons recalls her first summer as a counselor struggling with the rigors of the job. It was her greatest Camp influence, Captain Judy Bright who taught her the value and ability to put others needs before her own. Today, that focus on care is woven into all that she does as a medical professional and mother.
What is your current profession and what do you enjoy most about your job?
I have three jobs. First, as a mom of three wonderful children. I value every second with them, discovering their spirits, their gifts, their personalities and can’t wait to see how they contribute to the world. Second, I am a cardiothoracic surgeon at WakeMed. I enjoy this job immensely, as it gives me a very tangible way of helping people become healthier in some way on a daily basis. Third, I own a health IT software company called BeeWell, which is focused on developing a mobile interactive platform to navigate patients through a healthcare experience leading to better patient satisfaction, efficiency of care and improved outcomes.
How do the values or skills learned at Camp show up in your everyday work or personal life?
Camp taught me the value of working as a team and began to develop my ability to find the positive in people around me, focusing on the ways they can contribute and not their limitations. Camp’s mission and core values revolve around the people who make it whole. The amazing leadership and staff need to continue to hold their standards high and focus on the values that have maintained it as a place that changes lives for many years. That is a focus on Christian principles and building every child’s mind, body, and spirit.