Kristofer Heidt
Kristofer Heidt is a first generation college student and American — the child of a Czech immigrant and working class Italian American. They were born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in rural Kitsap county as the oldest of three siblings. They have worked as a bicycle mechanic, draft horse teamster, vegetable farmer, small-scale forester, and most recently have entered the medical field as an EMT and Wilderness First Responder. For the last 4 years, Kristofer has shaped this skillset volunteering with their local fire department and Search and Rescue team and working in a rural emergency department on the Olympic Peninsula.
As a member of the LGBT community, and sober person in recovery, Kristofer is deeply committed to service and the fundamental belief that each person has inherent dignity and the right to high quality and trauma-informed healthcare. They are attending the University of Washington to achieve a Bachelor’s of Nursing, a path that will advance their emergency medical skills in order to participate in frontline humanitarian aid deployments and provide high-level care to rural communities, LGBT youth, and those in active substance use and recovery upon completion of this degree program.
Kristofer is a lifelong singer and musician, and an active member of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp singing community — facilitating musical instruction in shape note singing and chairing all-day singings in the region. They are a cofounder of the Olympic Peninsula Sacred Harp Singers, and have found a spiritual home in the intergenerational and interfaith community of Sacred Harp singing. Kristofer is strongly influenced by the Catholic Worker Movement, and strives to locate principles of solidarity, spiritual nonviolence, and community at the forefront of their work in the EMS field and in all aspects of their life; centering a personal obligation to care for others rather than relying on institutions or state-provided charity.
The support from the Martin Family Scholarship is invaluable in this pursuit of this educational endeavor– and parallels the commitment to lifelong service, learning, and excellence that Kristofer hopes to continue at the University of Washington.
Goals
Kristofer intends to continue their career trajectory in the field of emergency medicine: first, by completing their BSN, then going on to work in high-acuity hospitals as an ER nurse with a focus on trauma and pediatric populations. From this level of competency, they plan to progress to working within frontline and rural medicine contexts. They plan to strengthen their medical non-english language competencies, and plan to seek out combat-zone and humanitarian-aid deployments, operating with a strong social equity ethos towards providing care to marginalized populations in austere conditions.
Tips
Everyone has a unique and compelling story worthy of witness and support. I believe future applicants ought to share their authentic priorities, values, and hopes with the Foundation board— aiming to convey a well-defined personal ethos, sense of purpose, and clarity of thought.
