Dawn Brown didn’t have to go far to get vaccinated this spring—she was already at Case Western Reserve’s site, as a volunteer.
“I like being involved,” explained Brown, a grants and finance specialist in the Department of Biochemistry. “[B]eing vaccinated would allow me to participate in volunteer activities and be out and about.”
Brown learned Tuesday that her vaccination status offered a second benefit; she was this week’s winner of the faculty/staff incentive: six months of free campus parking.
As of this morning, more than two-thirds of the campus community has verified their vaccine status by uploading pictures of their cards to the university’s secure health record system. Among those who’ve done so is Kira Ogoshi, who began her physician assistant studies this spring.
As an EMT and medical assistant during the pandemic, Ogoshi first chose to get vaccinated to protect herself and those around her.
“I also wanted to get vaccinated to encourage my friends, family and patients I spoke with to get the vaccine,” Ogoshi explained.
Vaccination card submissions were part of the onboarding process for her program, but she “also wanted to do her part in helping the university fully reopen for the upcoming school year.”
This week Ogoshi discovered that doing her part for others also helped herself; she was randomly selected as vaccine verification winner among students. Her prize is a half year’s tuition for her academic program.
Earlier this month, the university announced new campus protocols that take effect July 1. As of now, masks can come off outdoors, but remain required indoors.
“If you would prefer to see some of the restrictions relaxed in the future,” Interim President Scott Cowen and Provost Ben Vinson wrote, “we strongly encourage you to (a) become fully vaccinated and (b) submit your vaccination card…”
The opportunity to avoid masking was one of Brown’s motivations for uploading her card. First, “it would help get the university that much closer to in-person interactions,” she noted.
Plus, she added: “I’m looking forward to the energy I get from being around my colleagues. I’m looking forward to university events, seeing students and hanging out with Spartie now and then.”
To learn more about how to submit your vaccination card, please visit the vaccine verification webpage.