Mercy scholarships encourage medical careers

Medically minded —€” Mercy Hospital of Folsom awarded 12 students scholarships of $1,100 each on Friday at Serrano Country Club. Left to right, Victoria Chiu, 17; Rachel Mars, 17; Josh Verner, 17; Nicole Lemon, 17; Anusha Deshpande, 17; Bhavana Jonnalagadda, 17; Cecilia Chan, 17; Shirley May, 18; Sadra Forati, 17; and Tasha Vu, 17. Not pictured are Celine Barrica and Sheri Lyne James. Village Life photo by Mike Roberts

The good ladies, and a couple guys, of the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary have been dishing out scholarships to promising local students with medically minded career aspirations for 36 years running.

This year’s lucky dozen scholars were recognized during the 2012 award luncheon at Serrano Country Club on Friday, March 16. The recognition included a $1,100 check to help them pursue their medically themed dreams.

Oak Ridge senior Josh Verner wants to serve in third-world countries as a nurse practitioner. The former El Dorado Hills Community Services District lifeguard traced the roots of his medical ambition to a high-dive accident at the pool two summers back. A diver fell onto the concrete.

“I was the first responder and was able to help the kid out,” said Josh. “He was OK … the whole thing just kind of clicked that that’s what I wanted to do.”

He followed up his epiphany with a Rolling Hills Church medical mission to Honduras, where he worked in an operating room, assisting an anesthesiologist as well as the surgeons. “That confirmed it for me,” he said. “That’s what I want to be.”

The other El Dorado Hills scholarship recipients were Rachel Mars and Cecilia Chan.

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Posted by Mike Roberts on Mar 19 2012.
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