Photo by Susan Urmy
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the eternal question asked of every child. For most, the answer is motivated by a family member’s profession or a career they’ve seen on TV: perhaps a nurse, a teacher or a firefighter. Some children, though, are born with an innate calling that they can’t ignore. Recently, one of these special young people came to Vanderbilt University on a quest to learn more about his career choice.
In late 2025, the Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Association (VMAA) received an email from South Carolina resident Kala Frye. She was requesting a small piece of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine swag for her then 9-year-old son, Shawn Jr. (S.J.), to take to his elementary school for “College Day.”
S.J. had decided he wanted to be a cardiologist, and he’d already chosen Vanderbilt as the academic standard for his future education.
“Vanderbilt is where the best cardiologists come from,” he announced, following an extensive internet search.
Inspired by his determination, the VMAA team recognized an opportunity to invest in a potential VUSM student. A hefty box of goodies was assembled, including a Vanderbilt-branded football (S.J. is a big sports fan), a Vanderbilt backpack to show off to his school friends, and a VMAA-branded tumbler for his mom.
After his successful College Day show-and-tell, S.J. came to his mom and dad, Shawn, with another request.
“S.J. has decided that he would like to spend his spring break in Nashville, touring the Vanderbilt campus. Do you think you could set us up with a tour?” Kala’s follow-up email read. The VMAA staff got to work planning a trip to remember.
When S.J. and his parents arrived on the Vanderbilt campus April 7, they were fully committed to the experience. Kala wore a jean jacket she’d hand-bedazzled in Vanderbilt colors, complete with “Anchor Down” across the collar. Shawn wore a Vanderbilt hat, and S.J. was decked out in head-to-toe Vanderbilt gear, including gold-and-black sneakers bought just the day before during their road trip to Nashville.
“He just had to have them,” said Kala, with a smile.
The family received the full Vanderbilt treatment. They visited the bookstore before setting out for a tour of campus. When they worked up an appetite, VMAA staff met the family at the nearby Little Rey restaurant where they were joined by Sameer Sundrani, VMAA’s student board representative and the 2026 VUSM class president.
S.J. munched on tacos while he asked Sundrani about life as a Vanderbilt medical student, what the application process was like, how difficult classes were and, most importantly, “If two vegans got in a fight, would it still be called a ‘beef’?” They debated whether a hot dog is really a sandwich in between questions about Sundrani’s undergraduate program at Stanford University and what he expects his life to be like when he returns to the school for his residency in neurosurgery.
Next, the Fryes visited the office of André Churchwell, MD, a Vanderbilt Health cardiologist, esteemed faculty member, and trusted adviser to Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, PhD.
“Dr. Churchwell is not only one of the nicest people you will ever meet, but he is easily the best-dressed person on campus,” Sundrani had informed S.J.
He did not disappoint. Churchwell greeted the group with a huge smile, dressed in bright, canary yellow dress pants. “Well, well, who do we have here?” he said in the baritone voice anyone who knows him would recognize with their eyes closed.
He gave S.J. a gentlemanly handshake and welcomed the family into his highly decorated office. Churchwell said he was inspired by the young man’s questions, answering each of his pre-penned inquiries with a thoughtful response. Churchwell stressed the need to pursue relaxing pastimes to balance the intense work of a physician, and he showed S.J. the result of one of his passions, a collection of charcoal drawings.
“That one there is my lovely wife,” he pointed to a framed, pencil-drawn portrait of Doreatha Churchwell that was nearly as tall as the boy. “And do you like superheroes?”
Churchwell sat with S.J. as he flipped through detailed sketches of superheroes.
“It’s important to have hobbies, S.J.,” he advised. “God, family and service; those things are the heart and soul of life … With those, it is important to have things in your life which help you continue growing, stay grounded, and having fun.”
Over the next hour, Churchwell shared stories of his family, including his father and siblings, all extremely accomplished, and of his time volunteering monthly at his grandchildren’s elementary school.
After insisting on the opportunity to mentor S.J. and remain in close contact, Churchwell wished the family well, but not before sharing, “This is the kind of work we should be doing. … This is such a special opportunity for young people, and a gift for those of us who have been around a long time, to pass on our insights to the next generation.”
As the Fryes walked toward their next event, a VandyBoys baseball game thanks to VMAA’s friends in Vanderbilt Athletics, they commented on the gentleness and spiritual aura of the Vanderbilt cardiologist. They headed back to South Carolina the following day with several signed drawings, a signed copy of the physician’s book, and a new baseball bat that “just so happened to be” in Churchwell’s office.
Kala sent a glowing follow-up email which included photos of S.J. playing baseball in his hometown Little League — complete with gold-and-black cleats.
“They had to be gold and black this year,” Kala wrote.
For S.J., the visit offered more than a campus tour. It provided a glimpse of the future he hopes to build for himself and a mentor more than ready to help him along the way.