2021 i4Kids Medical Student Scholarship Recipients

 i4Kids and Dean Anantha Shekhar are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 i4Kids Medical Student Scholarship. Each awardee will receive $1,000 and be offered a mentorship opportunity with i4Kids faculty.

Congratulations to our awardees!

Alyssa Aburachis of Pittsburgh, PA is a 1st year medical student. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Neuroscience from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018 and spent her gap years working at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for the Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders. She intends to go into pediatrics with a possible specialization in developmental pediatrics.

Morgan Coren of Wayne, PA is a 2nd year medical student. She is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to enter the medical field. She graduated with her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 with minors in Chemistry and Social Work and a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. She intends to go into pediatrics or psychiatry, or a combination of the two through a Triple Board residency program.

Sarah Ehrenberg of East Aurora, NY is a 3rd year medical student. She is the first of her family to enter a career in medicine. She graduated with a degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University at Buffalo, where she was a member of the club field hockey team, a research assistant in the Child Health and Behavior Lab and volunteered as a tutor at a local afterschool program. She intends to go into pediatrics, where she is excited to explore different subspecialties.

Gregory Gorraiz of Cave Creek, Arizona is a 3rd year medical student. He is a first-generation college graduate and the first in his family to enter medicine. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in American studies from Stanford University in 2012, followed by a career in elementary education. He intends to pursue a career in child psychiatry.

Erin Gramm of Jefferson Hills, PA is a 2nd year medical student. She is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to attend medical school. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, where she majored in biology, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was the Philanthropy Director for Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. She is interested in a career in pediatrics, especially pediatric emergency medicine.

Mackenzie McDonald of Erie, Pennsylvania is a 2nd year medical student. She is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to enter the medical field. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2018, where she studied biology and worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She intends to go into a pediatric subspecialty.

Kimberly Ortiz of Miami, Fl is a 2nd year medical student. She is a proud immigrant from Venezuela and first-generation college graduate. Kimberly graduated with degrees in Biology and Women and Gender Studies from Florida International University in 2014, while also working as an afterschool math instructor with children of all ages. Although still early in her medical school career, she has an interest in pediatrics and community healthcare.

Aja Pollard of Marietta, GA is a 2nd year medical student and the first in her family to enter the medical field. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in Biology in 2016. Before matriculating into medical school, she worked with a charter school system aimed at providing a rigorous education to students from underserved communities. She intends to go into pediatrics, where she will continue targeting her work to populations in need.

Maya Sivagnanalingam of Rochester, NY is a 3rd year medical student. She is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to enter the medical field. She graduated with a degree in Biology from University of Rochester in 2013 followed by a Master’s degree in Immunology in 2015. She dedicated a few years of research developing in vivo models to investigate therapeutic targets in chemotherapy-resistant AML and identifying biomarkers in ovarian cancer. She intends to go into pediatrics with a possible subspeciality in critical care medicine or hematology/oncology.

Carolyn Windler of Los Angeles, CA is a 4th year medical student. She is the first in her family to enter the medical field. She graduated summa cum laude and with Honors with a degree in Psychology from the University of Southern California in 2015. She then served in the Peace Corps for two years in Togo, West Africa, focusing her development work on kids. She is going into family medicine with an intention to focus on women and children.