Abrielle Brown: Future Physician with a Heart for Service

Abrielle Brown is embracing the Power of And.
Abrielle, a junior biology/pre-med major, student leader and sorority sister,
shares how small acts of service make a big impact.

While still in high school, Abrielle Brown discovered firsthand how deeply medical treatment can affect more than just the body. She witnessed her grandmother, Kathy, undergo chemotherapy for multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer. During the treatment, the drugs altered her grandmother's taste buds, leaving her with a bad "metallic" taste in her mouth. Yet, the simple act of sucking on hard candy brought immediate relief. Wanting to help, Abrielle began researching the side effects of chemotherapy and learned that as many as 75 percent of patients experience similar symptoms. That moment of observation and empathy sparked an idea that would shape her future.

Together with her sister, Gianna, she founded the Candy for Cancer Project, an initiative that delivers individually wrapped hard candies and handwritten inspirational notes to chemotherapy centers throughout the region. What began as a simple act of kindness quickly became a meaningful expression of Abrielle's belief that compassion belongs at the heart of healthcare.

Now a junior at Saint Francis University, Abrielle is blending her passion for community service with her goal of becoming a primary care physician. Majoring in Biology/Pre-medicine and minoring in Compassionate Caregiving, she has embraced the University's mission of integrating academic excellence with service to others.

Abrielle is personally guided by a belief that small acts of service can create meaningful change, a belief that has guided her involvement across campus. As Community Service Chair of her sorority, Phi Delta Kappa, Abrielle has helped raise more than $2,000 for charitable causes. She previously served as Philanthropy Chair of the Saint Francis Inter-Sorority Council, where she encouraged collaboration among Greek Life organizations and helped launch Greek Service Week. Projects ranged from writing cards for nursing home residents to organizing an Easter egg hunt that benefited Circle of Sisterhood, an organization supporting educational opportunities for girls in underserved countries.

This year, Abrielle will step into the role of Inter-Sorority Council President, a position she sees not as a title, but as another opportunity to foster connection and purpose.

Service also shapes her leadership within the Student Government Association. As Chief Senator for Food and Dining, Abrielle serves as a liaison between students and dining services, gathering feedback and advocating for improvements that enhance daily campus life. She will soon transition into the role of Executive Vice President, where she hopes to continue building bridges between students and University leadership.

Even with her extensive campus involvement, Abrielle remains deeply committed to her academic and professional goals. Last summer, she spent ten weeks as a student laboratory intern at UPMC McKeesport, gaining hands-on experience in hematology, chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis, and coagulation. Working alongside laboratory professionals allowed her to see how technical skill and human care intersect in patient outcomes.

Those experiences reinforced her desire to pursue family medicine - a field she believes plays a critical role in restoring compassion to healthcare. She argues that there is a compassion crisis in the United States, and that it is quick and impersonal appointments that cause people to ignore their health and avoid the doctor. She says that it is the duty of primary care physicians to create compassionate connections with their patients.

"I think that primary care is really important because it's the first line of defense," Brown said. "PCPs have such a good role to care for patients and take care of their overall healthy living. If patients feel like they aren't cared for then they'll skip out on specialist appointments and ignore their health, so it's very important to make people feel like you care."

At Saint Francis, Abrielle has found a community that supports both her ambition and her heart for service. Through mentorship, leadership opportunities, and a mission rooted in Franciscan values, she has grown into a student who understands that purpose is not about choosing one path over another - it is about integrating them.

Whether she is leading service initiatives, advocating for students, or preparing for medical school, Abrielle hopes to inspire others to act with compassion. By creating programs that uplift others and pursuing a career grounded in care, she aims to leave a lasting legacy at Saint Francis University and beyond - one rooted in empathy, service, and the power of "and."

The Power of "And"

At Saint Francis University, we encourage our students to embrace the power of "and." Every new skill, talent, and challenge they explore here under our guidance builds a foundation for something greater. It's through blending passions, disciplines, and experiences that they become that someone they are uniquely called to be.