Last month, Meharry Medical College faculty, students and distinguished guests gathered at the Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education to celebrate the educational institution’s 139th Convocation. As expected, the event was filled with tradition and ceremony … but it was also a day of big surprises.
For the first time in its history, Meharry Medical College awarded four students academic scholarships covering 100 percent of tuition costs for their final year. The awardees had no idea they would be receiving scholarships prior to the announcement by A. Dexter Samuels, PhD, senior vice president of Student & Faculty Affairs at Meharry and executive director of the Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy. The four recipients were selected based on financial need, merit, academic excellence and aggregate loan indebtedness.
Officials with the medical school said the scholarships were intended to ease the financial burden of receiving a health profession education. Across the country, medical school tuition continues to rise. For many who study at Meharry, paying off loans is even more challenging in the wake of upholding the school’s mission of serving the underserved.
The scholarship recipients were Italo Brown, School of Medicine; Naila Ortega, School of Dentistry; Nchelem Ehule and Efe Oghoghome, both from the School of Graduate Studies and Research. Making education affordable and attainable has been a point of emphasis for Meharry President and CEO A. Cherrie Epps, PhD, and her administration.
In addition to the scholarships, the day featured a keynote speech by cardiologist André Churchwell, MD, professor of Medicine and senior associate dean for Diversity Affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Frank S. Royal, Sr., MD, chairman of the Meharry Board of Trustees, presented Churchwell and Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, DMin, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church and international presiding bishop-elect of Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, with honorary degrees during the ceremony.
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TAGS: Meharry Medical School, Meharry 139th Convocation, Andre Churchwell, Cherie Epps, Frank Royal, Nchelem Ehule, Italo Brown, Naila Ortega, Efe Oghoghome
PHOTOS: Churchwell getting honorary degree, Bishop Walker at podium and one of scholarship recipients. See captions below.
Churchwell: Keynote speaker Dr. André Churchwell (R) receives an honorary Meharry Medical School degree from Dr. Frank Royal, chairman of the school’s board of trustees.
Bishop: Bishop Joseph Walker – who received his undergraduate degree from Southern University, his master’s from Vanderbilt, and his doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary – can now add an honorary degree from Meharry to his long list of educational and professional accolades.
Student: The surprise and excitement is evident in Nchelem Ehule’s smile as she learned she was one of four scholarship recipients. The MSPH student in the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry will have her final year’s tuition paid in full.
WEB: mmc.edu
