Growing up in Independence , a small town of about 1,700 people in southeast Louisiana , she excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court … and the volleyball court … and the softball field , too . As a three-sport athlete , she had plenty of experience working with physical therapists and saw this as an attainable goal for her future . But in her junior year , she had a significant ankle injury that required her to be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon .

“ There was just something about my interaction with the physician that day . The switch from physical therapy to medicine was likely because I hadn ’ t seen a doctor tie together sports and medicine previously . It really meshed my love of sports with the love of science that I knew I always had .”

After high school , she attended Xavier University of Louisiana as part of their pre-med program . They encouraged students to apply to medical school anywhere they wanted , but to make sure that they considered at least one of the three schools that Xavier ’ s folks had good relationships with – and the University of Louisville was one

of those . During the ice storm of 2009 , Dr . Richardson made the trek to Louisville for an interview .

“ As a Louisiana girl , coming to a foreign place , waking up in your hotel room with no power and a sheet of ice on your car was daunting , honestly . But that experience showed me the heart of the city and the heart of the school .”

She remembers getting a call from the Director of Diversity and Inclusion , Mary Joshua , apologizing for the weather and asking if she ’ d already left or if she wanted to reschedule . Since she ’ d already left , she pushed on . Mrs . Joshua cautioned again and again to drive safely and take her time .

“ Everyone was so apologetic , even though it had nothing to do with them and was beyond their control , but that meant a lot . I felt comfortable coming here because I knew I would be taken care of . If anything came up , I could reach out to these people because they cared about me before they even knew me .”

Later that year , she began medical school . She expected it to be challenging , and it was , but she also found quickly that it was comforting to be with likeminded people working toward a common goal .

“ Medical school is truly like trying to drink and digest from a fire hydrant . You ’ re getting hit with all this new terminology and information , and for me , I was in a new city . It was also a very rewarding experience and I made some of my best friends because we went

26 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE