Brookfield Whiz Kid: Erika Papenfuss

Whiz Kid’s Age:  21

Whiz Kid’s School: Graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Brookfield High School, class of 2007.

Whiz Kid’s Accomplishment: Erika was one of only four classmates to be commissioned by the University of Pennsylvania Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps this past May.

Key to Awesomeness: In addition to being in the UPenn Naval ROTC, Erika studied nursing while in college.  She is presently at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland as a Nurse Corps Officer. 

Erika gained a great deal of practical nursing experience during her time at UPenn.  For example during one summer in college she worked aboard the USS Tortuga assisting physicians and performing medical tasks. 

Erika became interested in nursing while still in high school after a trip to Honduras with a medical team sponsored by Heal the Children in 2006.  She accompanied her mother, Karla, who is a hand therapist, on that trip.  Erika was able to stand in the actual operating room and observe surgery.  Many of the surgeries were to correct congenital hand deformities or past injuries.  It was after that trip and seeing the people they helped that Erika knew for sure she wanted to work in a medical field.