By Sara Haynes

As a teenager, Alex Dolle 26C witnessed a terrible accident. He remembers being so distraught that he had trouble giving clear information to the 911 operator. He also remembers how calm and confident the first responders were when they arrived. He decided to become someone who knows what to do in a crisis.

(Alex Dolle)

First, he became a lifeguard. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. Before his first year at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, he trained as an emergency medical technician.

Emory was an ideal choice for the Oregon native. The small classes, commitment to the student experience, and research opportunities prepared him for medical school. The student body was smart and motivated.

Dolle was thrilled to be awarded a Woodruff Scholarship, but he was also worried. Could he live up to expectations? “Everyone at Emory is excellent. I wasn’t sure what was expected of Woodruff scholars,” he remembers. 

He turned to Amy Lebo, director of the Emory Scholars Program, the office that selects Emory merit scholarship recipients, including the Woodruff Scholarship. Many scholars come to her with the same concern. The Woodruff Scholarship was specifically created for students who not only excel in the classroom, but who search for community leadership positions. More than that, the Scholars Program is designed to guide students toward their potential.

“We help exceptional students develop into changemakers,” says Lebo.

The program took Dolle to Washington, D.C., to meet Woodruff alumni in Congress and the Department of Justice and to London to study international health care systems. He served on the Woodruff Student Alumni Board, where he interacted with scholars from every Emory school. That connection was critical.

“You bond with other students, meet alumni, and participate in a curriculum focused on leadership and service,” Dolle says. 

His seminal Emory experience, however, happened before he ever walked into an Emory classroom. Dolle joined the Emory Emergency Medical Service (EEMS) during first-year orientation and was its chief in his senior year. EEMS is a student-run volunteer program that serves an area of two square miles centered on Emory’s campus. Volunteers field more than 1,100 calls a year, averaging a four-minute response time. Dolle worked 36 hours a week, supervised 70 people, and was on call 24/7. 

“As chief, my job was to help my team do their jobs. I was responsible for everything that happened on a call.” 

Beyond administrative and public-facing duties, Dolle answered all medical and legal questions that his team encountered on a call. He credits his experience in almost every EEMS position for his ability to provide stable leadership.

Part of the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, EEMS is funded from the university operating budget, but Dolle says the generosity of donors helped his team save lives. “EMS is expensive. Donors help us meet needs as we have them, like updating radios and vehicles.”

Andrew Hawthorn 95C is one of those donors. He supports EEMS to honor his time on the team. “Being a student volunteer was one of the most formative experiences of my life. The program provides both essential emergency care for the campus community and a life-changing experience in leadership and service for students.”

In 2024, EEMS won the Georgia Emergency Medical Services of the Year Award, beating out other services including Grady EMS.

Dolle also served on several Emory advisory boards, including the Student Alumni Board, which helped him become more deeply involved in the community and meet people who shape the Emory experience. 

“They’ve helped me see what kind of leader and decision-maker I want to be. As I move on from college, it’s nice to know that there are Emory people to connect with no matter where I am.”

Emory's Advancement & Alumni Engagement team spotlights members of the Emory community who embody the university's mission and honors the supporters whose generosity makes it possible. Know someone we should write about? Tell us.