Rebecca Franks (she/her) is a fourth-year in the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Bioethics. For the past three years, Becca has served as the Madison House program director for Charlottesville Area Riding Therapy (CART), a therapeutic horseback riding program for children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. Becca is also a volunteer EMT with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS). At CARS, she responds to 911 calls in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, proving medical care and transport to the hospital. Lastly, Becca volunteers at the Charlottesville Free Clinic. Next year, Becca will be returning to Texas for medical school.

WHAT LED YOU TO YOUR SERVICE WORK?

Coming to UVA, I wanted to find unique service opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone. Although I didn’t have any previous experience working with horses, I heard about Charlottesville Area Riding Therapy from a friend. The program seemed like a unique way to improve physical, emotional, and social wellbeing outside of the traditional clinical setting. Over the past four years, CART has introduced me to a new way of serving the community to improve overall health.

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