Elaina Stover received a $2,000 scholarship from Trudy McAlister Foundation for her acupuncture program studies at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, one of the leading graduate schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the nation.
Elaina grew up in Tallmadge, Ohio where she developed her passion for anatomical and health sciences. She discovered in high school her passion for looking deep inside the structures of the body and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.
After her graduation she took an internship in Africa doing research on sustainable rural health care. She comments, “I found it difficult to stay behind the scenes researching in the field, I realized I wanted to be able to touch and help people more directly.”
Upon returning to the United States Elaina attended yoga teacher training in New York and worked with instructor Francois Raoult MA, RIYT, and learned the technique of using the tongue as a diagnostic tool for better understanding of the body. She learned that tongue diagnosis is an aspect of Chinese medicine, leading her to Austin to study at AOMA.
The Trudy McAlister Foundation awards students who are currently enrolled in an ACAOM accredited acupuncture school. Students must also complete an essay to be considered for this scholarship. Elaina wrote about the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in health care today. She writes, “Participation is how we take ownership of our profession, shape policy and affect decision making, as well as share our profession and knowledge with the public and health professionals.” Elaina plans on graduating in 2014 and desires to work in an integrative setting with nurses, massage therapist, and naturopaths.
