An Experience-Based Approach to Understanding the Impacts of Poverty

Zachary Sagstetter GS’24 is a first-year physician assistant student—but for an hour, he played the role of an 85-year-old widowed man who lives alone. His only source of income was a social security check, which he learned would not cover his monthly expenses, so he was left problem-solving just to try and make it by.  

Sagstetter was one of 55 Bethel students from the physician assistant and counseling programs who participated in a poverty simulation earlier this month. While the role he played was fictional, the character’s experience isn’t unique. According to the most recent census, poverty affects 11.4% of the U.S. population.  

The simulation was designed to increase awareness about the impacts of poverty. Over the course of an hour, students took on the role of a person facing poverty and attempted to navigate four weeks of typical responsibilities, including paying bills, shopping for essentials, and going to work or school. Participants experienced the difficulty of completing tasks with limited resources and gained insight into the lived experiences of those who face poverty. 

“The Bethel physician assistant and counseling programs overlap in our mission to prepare graduates who will serve all patients with respect and compassion,” explains Christy Hanson, director of the physician assistant program. “Poverty is a reality for millions of Americans and it impacts both physical and mental health. The simulation reframes the issue of poverty, allowing students to better understand the structural challenges that exist for individuals and families living below the poverty line.”

One of Sagstetter’s biggest takeaways from his experience is that community support resources are only beneficial to those who know they exist. He didn’t find out until near the end of the simulation that he was eligible for nutrition assistance benefits, which would help him pay for groceries. “If I want to provide the best care possible for my future patients, I will need to ensure I understand their current situation beyond their acute medical needs,” he says. “Being a competent PA requires treating the whole person, and making individuals aware of organizations who can provide them support in other ways beyond medical care could really help them out.”  

Vanessa Cox GS’25 is a first-year counseling student, whose assigned role for the simulation was that of a 19-year-old woman who had just been evicted from her home. She was staying in a shelter with her boyfriend and 1-year-old child. Unemployed, with no assets, she was simultaneously looking for work and for housing. "I think the simulation really did a good job showing how stressful it was to make ends meet,” Cox says. “Nothing came easy. We did purchase housing, but at the sacrifice of everything else, and it was clear we were not going to be able to sustain it for another month. Any minute, it felt like our security was going to come crashing down." 

After the simulation, students had the opportunity to discuss their experience and consider how it would impact their future practice. Andrew Oster GS’25, a student in the counseling program, found specific value in collaborating and unpacking the experience with students from the physician assistant program. “Our multidisciplinary collaboration was able to shine as they revealed their concerns over physical health—like stress, poor diet, overworking, disability, etc.—which obviously had numerous overlaps with mental health,” Oster says. “It is clear that the issues regarding poverty are going to need collaboration between our two disciplines if they are going to improve."

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Hands-on learning is a basic tenet of a Bethel Graduate School education. Whether you’re studying counseling, leadership, business, or another program, you’ll graduate with the practical experience to take what you learned in the classroom and apply it in your workplace.

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