Hospital stay inspired teen’s career dream

No high schooler wants to spend nearly two months of senior year stuck in a hospital. But in 2019, that’s just what happened to Emily Hontz during her last semester at West Chester East High School.

Instead of getting to do all the fun stuff she had planned with family and friends, she underwent lengthy treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where doctors worked to control her Crohn’s disease.

But an unexpected thing happened as Emily slowly walked the halls at CHOP. She began feeling the stirrings of a future career, inspired by the hospital’s sensitive design.

“I knew I wanted to go into some engineering field, and architectural engineering sort of got my attention,” she said. “But being at CHOP gave me a purpose: I wanted to create things that would affect how people feel and make them comfortable and happy.”

Emily, 19, is now a rising sophomore in Penn State’s five-year architectural engineering program. Her hope is to eventually create health care facilities that are pleasant, friendly and accommodating, the way she found CHOP to be.

Emily’s sense of mission, even a young age, has won her two $2,500 scholarships.

Erin Allen, PWC mentorship chairperson and a project manager with Torcon, nominated Emily for a scholarship after hearing about Emily from her big brother, David Hontz, 25.

Allen was impressed by her drive, as well as her commitment.

“Her dedication to what she is doing, and why, is truly motivating,” Allen said. “I believe her story speaks volumes at such a young age.”