Featured Alumna
Claudia Christman-Skieller, PBS Class of 1997
Claudia was in the fifth grade graduating Class of 1997, which was
the last year that PBS had a sixth grade graduating class, also sharing
the Class of 1997 distinction. Claudia is currently in her first year at
the University of Illinois, Chicago Medical School. After graduating
from Stanford University in 2008, she worked in Tanzania for three
months and then at the Stanford Cancer Center, in clinical research,
until starting medical school this fall. She has also joined the US Air
Force as a second lieutenant, as part of their Health Professions
Scholarship Program. Claudia currently lives in the South Loop area of
Chicago and is enjoying her time exploring the wonderful city of
Chicago. In an interview with Amy Hale, Claudia elaborated on her past
experiences and what her future holds.
Where did you go to school following PBS?
After PBS, I went to Castilleja School (6-12th grade) and Stanford
University (BA, Human Biology). I now attend the University of Illinois
at Chicago for medical school.
Tell us more about your experience in Tanzania.
I was working with Support for International Change, a NGO that offers
HIV education in schools and communities in northern Tanzania. When I
first went to Tanzania in 2007, I was a volunteer and taught HIV
education classes in middle and high schools in one village outside of
Arusha, Tanzania. I lived in a Maasai homestay, which was an amazing way
to experience living in Tanzania. I also think it really added
credibility to our volunteers, since we were able to truly feel like a
part of the community for eight weeks. I then worked at Stanford as one
of the volunteer coordinators, and returned to Tanzania in the fall of
2008 after graduating. Instead of directly teaching, I oversaw other
volunteers’ efforts and helped run the logistical side of the NGO.
Expand on your Air Force experience.
I commissioned as a second lieutenant in May of 2010, since I am part of
the US Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). As an
HPSP student, I receive a medical school scholarship from the Air Force
and will serve for at least four years as an Air Force physician after
my residency. During medical school, my time commitment to the Air Force
is relatively minimal, though I did attend Commissioned Officer
Training (COT) in Montgomery, AL this past summer for five weeks.
Have you taken any inspiration from anything you learned while you were at PBS?
At risk of sounding corny, I do feel that the unofficial motto of PBS
(“Be kind”) has stuck with me since age three. I was raised in such a
welcoming, open-minded environment, and I think this definitely all
started at PBS.
Do you still keep in touch with anyone from your days here?
I definitely keep in touch with people from PBS- one of the many advantages of attending such a small school!
What are your future plans?
Well, I will finish medical school in 2014, and then am looking at at
least 3 years of residency (more likely 5 years, since I am interested
in going into orthopedic surgery), followed by 4 years of military
service. So, my life is pretty planned out for me for the next 10 years!
Beyond that, I know I eventually want to move back toward the west
coast. I adore Chicago, but miss the ocean and mountains (and skiing!).