Audra Nemirow/The Hofstra Chronicle
Christopher Chang, a first-year graduate student in the Physician Assistant Studies Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BSMS) dual degree program, grew up on Long Island. To Chang, Hofstra is just far enough away from his home. He harbors a deep love for Long Island, especially for his hometown of Huntington, proving that you do not have to stray far from home to embrace the variety of life.
“I’m the one who’s introducing more of my friends to Long Island, since I was born here,” Chang said. “I have a lot of friends who are out of state, so it’s nice to introduce my friends to the things I grew up with.”
Many of Chang’s closest friends are also in the BSMS program. These are the people whom he has studied with over the years, those who have felt the specificity of that program’s difficulties and joys. But Chang has also been able to meet people in all different fields of study. Much of this happened through his involvement with the Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College, as he has been able to interact with and befriend a diverse group of people. This, combined with his choice to live on campus rather than commute, has been essential to his sense of community at Hofstra.
“Unless you live here or you’re here every day, it’s hard to experience what campus life is … I have friends who are commuters, and they come here [to Hofstra], they go to class, and they go home,” Chang said. “It’s just very different from joining a club to having fun with friends on campus, to just enjoying campus life as a whole.”
This is Chang’s third year as a Resident Assistant (RA), an opportunity that has allowed him to take on a leadership role and further embed himself in the Hofstra community.
“I want to meet as many people as I can,” Chang said, “and being an RA just allows me to meet more people that I normally wouldn’t be able to meet.”
As an RA, Chang does not see himself as a mere enforcer of rules, but as a friend and mentor.
“I don’t want to get people in trouble,” Chang said. “I hate doing that. I want to be the RA who is there for them no matter what. I want to be my residents’ greatest cheerleader.”
Much of this drive to help others and participate actively in his community is an extension of his lifelong attachment to Christianity.
“I was born in a Christian household,” he said, “and my parents are Christian. Because of that, I take after their faith. It is something that has been with me for my whole entire life … you always have a brother or sister who is willing to help you. They are always willing to be there for you, which is something that I take to heart. It doesn’t matter what your religion is or anything, always having that support system is something that will carry you through life.”
Chang brings similar feelings to his chosen career path. The particularity of the physician’s assistant (PA) job was thanks to the example his brother-in-law set, but to Chang, the choice to join the medical field at all is based on his profound need to express empathy. For this reason, he has long known that he wanted to be a part of medicine.
“I’ve always liked helping people,” Chang said. “I want to make sure everyone around me is always in the best mood possible. So, because of that, I want to make sure everyone’s healthy; I’m like the Dad of my friend group. Knowing that I can help people with my major, first-hand, is something that’s really special to me.”
Studying to become a PA is extremely demanding, but Chang tries to make time for his other interests as often as he can. He is involved in several clubs on campus: Hofstra Esports allows him to exercise his love of videogames, the Hofstra InterVarsity Christian Fellowship connects him with others who share his faith and the Hofstra Physician Assistant club provides him with opportunities for professional development. Chang also has a deep connection to the performing arts, with a particular penchant for Broadway shows.
“I went to Broadway shows as a kid,” he said, “my first Broadway show was at age three. From there, I’ve always been engrossed in musicals. I’ve performed in musicals … I can’t act or sing for my life, but what I can do is I can play an instrument.”
Chang may boast an eclectic life, but with approximately nine hours of classes on most days, it is by no means easy to balance everything that he loves.
“You can’t study all day, otherwise you’ll get burnt out,” he said. “You can’t hang out all day, otherwise you can’t study. You have to find that sweet spot of time management for you where you’re able to do as much as you can without sacrificing something.”
