Let Our Extraordinary Scholars Inspire You
NMF scholars are emerging leaders committed to advancing health equity in the communities that need them most. During our annual Champions of Health Awards celebrations, we feature some of the many scholars who are already making a difference during their educational journeys.
2022 Bay Area Champions of Health
Chelsie Anderson
2021 NMF National Alumni Council Scholarship Program
Chelsie Anderson
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 NMF National Alumni Council Scholarship
Chelsie Anderson is a fourth-year medical student at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical School. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physiology at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 2013 and graduated with a Master of Science in Global Health from the UCSF Institute of Global Health Science in July 2021. She received honors for all her upper division medical and surgical acting internships; she also maintained a 4.0 GPA in her master’s program. She has held multiple leadership positions in her previous work experience, global health work, and academic involvements. Her mentorship for students from backgrounds underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) began in 2013 when she was a mentor for the SFSU Biology Undergraduate Mentorship Program; she remains in contact with her original mentees, one of which is applying to medical school this cycle. Anderson continues to actively contribute to community efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; while she aided in testing vulnerable community members early in the pandemic, she has since joined efforts to vaccinate the same populations who have experienced historical lack of access to health care. In addition to her outreach work, she is passionate about surgery and medical education. She serves as program director for the UCSF Surgical Near Peer Tutoring Program which supports medical students of all levels in their success in surgical rotations, research, and education.
Lauro (Nate) Avalos
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
Lauro (Nate) Avalos
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
Lauro Avalos is a fourth-year medical student at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. His hometown is Hawaiian Gardens, CA. His paternal family is from Zacatecas, Mexico, and his maternal family is Tejano mixed with Mexican and Native descent—he was largely raised as Chicano. He is a California State University San Marcos and UCSF post-baccalaureate graduate. Throughout grade school and college, he was a multi-sport athlete—swimming, soccer, cross country, and track and field. Avalos has also conducted research primarily in the neurosciences at many institutions—Scripps Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, San Francisco General Hospital, University of Cambridge (UK) and currently a researcher at UCSF within the neurosurgery & neuroradiology departments focusing on neurooncology as a fourth-year medical student. Prior to medical school, he has worked as a case manager at a free community clinic in Baltimore, as a scribe in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, and as a faculty member at a private middle and high school that primarily served children with special educational needs. Now, most of his teaching is geared towards medical education from teaching high schoolers about medicine, to college students on the medical admissions test (MCAT) and teaching first-year and third-year medical students on foundational and clinical knowledge sections. His current community work includes helping create a diabetes management care cascade at a free community clinic in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood alongside other community members and undergraduate students from San Francisco State University. This is one of his passions as it the group primarily serves San Francisco’s Latinx community members.
Francisco Gomez Alvarado
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
Francisco Gomez Alvarado
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
A second-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, Francisco Gomez Alvarado is committed to research, community partnerships, and advocating for improvements in services offered to underserved communities. From his involvement as a teacher and teaching assistant in an underserved community before medical school, Gomez Alvarado understands the need for comprehensive pipeline programs to improve the lack of diverse representation in the professional world. He participates in the provision of health and psychiatric evaluations for asylum applicants where his native fluency in Spanish allows him to connect with clients in a way few other students can. Gomez Alvarado works extensively with the other inter-professional programs at UCSF to bring cultural and academic events to life. Some of these include medical interpreting workshops and teaching a biweekly medical Spanish lunchtime session. He will undertake clinical rotations in his hometown of Fresno, CA as part of the San Joaquin Valley PRIME program. Francisco is active in planning outreach in the community with a particular interest in underserved regions and community colleges. A highlight being a health care forum he organized with Fresno City College in Spring, 2021. He mentors several students of Latin American heritage from the Fresno and Merced areas of the San Joaquin Valley, with the hopes of providing them with assistance on their path to becoming physicians.
Myles Holloway
California State University, Sacramento
2021 Drs. Ludlow & Ruth Creary Family Foundation Scholarship
Myles Holloway
California State University, Sacramento
2021 Drs. Ludlow & Ruth Creary Family Foundation Scholarship
Myles Holloway graduated from Culver City High School and attends California State University (CSU) Sacramento. He has completed the Sports Medicine Pathway at Culver City High School. He plans to major in kinesiology at CSU Sacramento. He volunteered at New Mount Calvary Baptist Church and Imagine LA nonprofit feeding the unhoused and providing food, toiletries, and toys to the community. He also volunteered as a Camp Coach at Van Ness Recreation Park. He has played varsity football at St John Bosco High School and Culver City High School as a wide receiver and cornerback. He received the Offensive Player of the Year award from St. John Bosco High School and Student Athlete Award (maintaining above a 3.5 grade point average all four years) at Culver City High School. He was on the Honor Roll and on the Principal’s List at St. John Bosco and Culver City High School. He also received Certificate of Excellence in Chemistry and Sports Medicine at St. John Bosco High School. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. He was also nominated by Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award Excellence from Culver City High School. He was a part of Young Black Scholars program completing their first Young Investors Program. Finally, he is a lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation at Culver City High School.
Ruth Laverde
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
Ruth Laverde
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 United Health Foundation Scholar
Ruth Laverde is a fourth-year, first-generation medical student interested in pediatric surgery who is currently on a research year at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia, as well as working with Kids OR, an international non-governmental organization, and at the Long-term Infant-to-Adult Follow-up and Evaluation Program (LIFE Clinic) at UCSF. Laverde is interested in the intersectionality of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and health care access. While earning her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at Florida International University (FIU), she evaluated oral health care access within the local Hispanic community under FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) where she found an interest in quality improvement and community engagement. As an undergraduate she volunteered as a patient navigator at a safety net clinic in downtown Miami. As a medical student, she is part of the Latino Medical Student Association and volunteers her spare time at a local youth center. During her medical school career, she has spent time developing medical Spanish curriculum under guidance of faculty and the national Medical Spanish Taskforce. She continues to mentor pre-health students in hopes of increasing diversity within the healthcare system. Laverde wishes to reduce barriers to health equity by integrating her interest in health disparities and community outreach research. Her previous project involves a three-pronged effort (education, outreach, and data analysis) to reduce the number of unused opioid medication prescribed for post-operative pain management, youth engagement in sex education at a local community center afterschool program and, most recently, addressing social determinants of health at a pediatric surgery clinic. She is applying to general surgery with hopes to become a pediatric surgeon practicing in local and international low resource settings.
Jesslyn Magee
2021 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Jesslyn Magee
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
2021 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Jesslyn Magee is a third-year medical student in the ARC (Accelerated Research Careers)-MD program at UC Davis School of Medicine. She is 2015 magna cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a B.S in Biology. She is also a 2017 graduate of the Keck Graduate Institute where she graduated with a Master of Science in applied life sciences with a focus in pharmaceutical discovery and development. She is currently interested in tech applications for medical and health care delivery innovation and advancement. During her time at UC Davis School of Medicine, she has been extensively involved in research to develop standardized protocols to support computer-vision based tools to advance the clinical assessment and treatment of vitiligo. Furthermore, she has explored applications of mathematical modeling to execute models for dermal absorption and drug delivery. She is currently interested in pursuing internal medicine as a specialty and soon would like to contribute to technology explorations as it relates to internal medicine, drug discovery and health care delivery. Outside of medicine, she is interested in learning more about how data science can be used to close health and education disparities. As a medical student, Magee has served as a fundraising chair and event coordinator of her local Student National Medical Association chapter. She also serves on the admissions committee at her medical school. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf, reading, cooking, and spending time with family.
Monica Stretten
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
2021 Mary Ball Carrera Scholarship
Monica Stretten
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Mary Ball Carerra Scholars
Monica Stretten is a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She earned her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 2015, majoring in Native American studies and romance languages. She also earned a certificate in global health and completed a capstone project on indigenous birth care. As an undergraduate, she served as co-president of the Dartmouth Powwow Committee and of Native Americans at Dartmouth. She was the two-time recipient of the Charles Eastman Award for excellent service and dedication to the Native community. She also received the Dean’s Plate Award upon graduation for excellent leadership and service to the Dartmouth community. After college, she completed a pre-medical post-baccalaureate program at Mills College in Oakland, California. At Mills, she worked as a tutor and teaching assistant in general chemistry. In medical school, Stretten founded and was the inaugural president of the UCSF chapter of the Association of Native American Medical Students. She is applying to residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a field in which she aspires to advocate for Indigenous and other historically disenfranchised communities. Her areas of interest include eliminating health disparities, reproductive justice, and transgender health.
2021 Atlanta Champions of Health
Jeffrey Anderson
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
2021 Dr. Joe L. Hargrove Scholarship
Jeffrey Anderson
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Dr. Joe L. Hargrove Scholarship Award Scholar 2021
Adrienne Carter
Meharry Medical College
2021-22 Johnson & Johnson Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine Scholarship
Adrienne Carter
Meharry Medical College
2021-22 Johnson & Johnson Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine Scholar
Fanta Kallé
Edwards Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
2021 Primary Care Leadership Program Scholar - GE Foundation
Fanta Kallé
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
2021 Primary Care Leadership Program Scholar
2nd Year Medical Student
Darren Turner
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
2021 NMF/NMA Florida Scholarship Fund Scholar
Darren Turner
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
NMF/NMA Florida Scholarship Fund Scholar 2021
2021 Chicago Champions of Health
Oluwafemisayo "Femi" Akinnagbe
University of Minnesota graduate
Resident Physician
Femi Akinnagbe
Jerry Graham, Jr.
Wayne State University School of Medicine
2021 Johnson & Johnson/NMF Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine (AIM) Scholarship Program
Mr. Willie James Williams Scholarship
Jerry Graham, Jr.
Wayne State University School of Medicine
3rd Year MD Candidate
Elizabeth "Liz" Martin
Wayne State University School of Medicine
2020 Dr. Herman and Shirley Gray Family Scholarship
Elizabeth "Liz" Martin
Wayne State University School of Medicine
2020 Dr. Herman and Shirley Gray Family Scholarship
Aurelio Muzaurieta
University of Michigan
2021 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)/Darrell G. Kirch, MD Scholarship
Aurelio Muzaurieta
University of Michigan
3rd Year MD Candidate
Coralie Pardo, MD
Graduate of Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
Emergency Medicine Specialist
Coralie Pardo, MD
Emergency Medicine Specialist
A graduate of Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center, Coralie Pardo is passionate about working with underserved populations who are disproportionately affected by limited access to healthcare, aggressive disease processes, chronic health care conditions, and poor health outcomes. In medical school, she had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural year of the Health Equity & Social Justice Leadership (HE&SJL) elective at Rush Medical College. This course taught her how to learn and practice medicine through a health equity lens. She learned the importance of taking the time to learn about a community’s history and hearing from that community before proposing outside ideas. In addition to creating a strong foundation in identifying manifestations of health inequity, she was able to assist in piloting a social needs screener-referral program in an urban primary care office. After the completion of the elective at the end of her first year, she was invited to serve as the student co-coordinator for the course, which has developed into a 4-year program. Her continued participation in the HE&SJL program has reinforced her motivation for pursuing medicine. It has given her an opportunity to see first-hand how caring and compassionate physicians integrate social medicine and health equity education into their practices. Her 10-year career goal is to become an Emergency Physician that has a focus on social medicine and to maintain her participation in educational and volunteer experiences that involve mentorship, community engagement, and equity work. She plans to practice medicine in a hospital that serves underserved patient populations and that displays an active investment in its community.
Alexander Papadogiannis
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program – GE Foundation
Alexander Papadogiannis
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
3rd Year MD Candidate
2021 Los Angeles Champions of Health
Courtnie Brown
2020 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Courtnie Brown
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
2020 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Miguel Gonzalez
2020 Zimmer Biomet/NMF Orthopaedic Scholarship
Miguel Gonzalez
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
2020 Zimmer Biomet/NMF Orthopaedic Scholarship
Maisie Hoang (Colley)
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program – GE Foundation
Maisie Hoang (Colley)
Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP) – GE Foundation
L’Oreal Kennedy
2020 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)/Darrell G. Kirch, MD Scholarship
L’Oreal Kennedy, DNP, CNM, ARNP, CBEC, CN-BP
University of Washington School of Medicine
2020 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)/Darrell G. Kirch, MD Scholarship
Vu Pham
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program – GE Foundation
Vu Pham
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP) – GE Foundation
Juan Ramirez
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program – GE Foundation
Juan Ramirez
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
2020 NMF Primary Care Leadership Program – GE Foundation
community that raised me.”
2021 New York Champions of Health
Aderinsola Aderonmu
2020 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Scholarship
Aderinsola Aderonmu
Drexel University
2020 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Scholarship
Christina Agudelo
2020 Genentech/NMF Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program
Christina Agudelo
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Genentech/NMF Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program
Orrin Belden
2020 Dr. James Curtis Scholarship
Orrin S. Belden, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College
Dr. James Curtis Scholarship
Jesslyn Magee
2021 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Jesslyn Magee
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
2021 Victor Grifols Roura Scholarship
Jesslyn Magee is a third-year medical student in the ARC (Accelerated Research Careers)-MD program at UC Davis School of Medicine. She is 2015 magna cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a B.S in Biology. She is also a 2017 graduate of the Keck Graduate Institute where she graduated with a Master of Science in applied life sciences with a focus in pharmaceutical discovery and development. She is currently interested in tech applications for medical and health care delivery innovation and advancement. During her time at UC Davis School of Medicine, she has been extensively involved in research to develop standardized protocols to support computer-vision based tools to advance the clinical assessment and treatment of vitiligo. Furthermore, she has explored applications of mathematical modeling to execute models for dermal absorption and drug delivery. She is currently interested in pursuing internal medicine as a specialty and soon would like to contribute to technology explorations as it relates to internal medicine, drug discovery and health care delivery. Outside of medicine, she is interested in learning more about how data science can be used to close health and education disparities. As a medical student, Magee has served as a fundraising chair and event coordinator of her local Student National Medical Association chapter. She also serves on the admissions committee at her medical school. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf, reading, cooking, and spending time with family.
Elise Mike
2020 David Kearney McDonogh Scholarship in Ophthalmology/ENT
Elise V. Mike, MS
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
2020 David Kearney McDonogh Scholarship in Ophthalmology/ENT
Jeffrey Okewunmi
2020 Genentech/NMF Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program
Jeffrey Okewunmi
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Genentech/NMF Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program