Pre-Med on weekdays.
Waterfalls on Saturday.
Ava Intelisano came to Shawnee State from Middlefield, Ohio for the science. Two years in, she has a conditional seat at an osteopathic medical school — and a student club she built from nothing.
Ava Intelisano, second from right, founded the Outdoor Adventure Club during her first year at Shawnee State.
Ava Intelisano is a Biomedical Sciences major on the pre-med track, and she is already accepted to medical school.
Not applied. Accepted — conditionally, at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she will go after she finishes her degree at Shawnee State in 2028. She is two years out and the seat is waiting.
She also founded an adventure club.
It started with a few people who liked being outside.
Intelisano came to Shawnee State from Middlefield, Ohio, for the science programs and a campus that felt like it wanted her there. She had always been the kind of person who noticed birds, named plants and took the long way around.
“I’ve always enjoyed spending time outside, and once I came to Shawnee State, I realized a lot of other students did too,” she said. “We wanted to create a place where people who appreciate nature could connect, explore and find community. That’s how the Outdoor Adventure Club started.”
That is a thing you can do here. A few friends, an idea, and a month later it is a club with a name and a calendar — hikes, nature walks, plant identification outings, whole Saturdays spent outside in some of the best country in Ohio.
“Being outdoors is refreshing, and it’s a great way to meet people,” she said. “We’ve seen students from all majors join the club because they want to explore, relax or try something new.”
“We wanted to create a place where people who appreciate nature could connect, explore and find community.”
Ava Intelisano
Biomedical Sciences, Class of 2028
The classes are challenging.
That’s what she wanted.
Biomedical Sciences at Shawnee State asks a lot of you, and Intelisano does not pretend otherwise.
“The subject matter is challenging, but in a mentally stimulating way,” she said. “It’s interesting, relevant and pushes me to think like a future surgeon. Smaller upper-level classes also mean more one-on-one interaction with professors, which helps with understanding difficult topics and preparing for medical school.”
That is the promise Shawnee State makes. The work is real, and so is the access — upper-level science classes here are small enough that your professor can tell the difference between what you understand and what you have memorized.
“The faculty in the natural science department are amazing,” she said. “They encourage questions, care about our success and connect what we learn in class with real-world applications.”
Alongside the Outdoor Adventure Club, she is in the Chemistry Club, the Pre-Med Club and TriBeta, the biological sciences honor society. Four groups, all full of people going after the same thing she is.
“It’s interesting, relevant and pushes me to think like a future surgeon.”
Her advice, for whoever comes next.
“Sit in the front of the classroom, ask questions and take the lead in your labs,” she said. “Definitely join clubs — especially those within the natural sciences. Chemistry Club, Pre-Med Club, TriBeta and of course the Outdoor Adventure Club all help you learn, grow and find community.”
You could do that here. There is a seat in the front row and a trailhead just minutes away.
There is always something to explore.
Shawnee State sits in downtown Portsmouth, where the Scioto River meets the Ohio and the largest state forest in Ohio starts twenty minutes west. Life off campus here is not a consolation prize.