This year, the Carson Scholars Fund (CSF) is celebrating an exciting anniversary! 2026 marks 30 years of awarding scholarships. In honor of this incredible milestone, we are reconnecting with our alumni to honor and celebrate their accomplishments. Our project 30 Years, 30 Scholars features one scholar from each year since the first scholarships were awarded in 1996, showcasing the impact and achievements of our CSF community. Their stories are a part of the CSF legacy, and we are proud to share them with you.

All of our alumni are incredibly accomplished, and our 30 Years, 30 Scholars profiles highlight their impressive journeys through academia, service, and careers. Among them is our 2004 alumni Carson Scholar, Dr. Bowen Jiang, an accomplished neurosurgeon who specializes in spinal and cranial surgery. Not only is Dr. Jiang the Director of the Providence St. Jude Neuroscience Institute, he also serves as the Site Director for the only ExcelsiusGPS robotic spine training center in California.

The impact of our alumni spans across the country and various fields of work. Our 2012 Carson Scholar, Megan Ronnfeldt, served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, traveling the world as an intelligence officer serving our country. Since her retirement from the Navy, Megan returned to school and now works for Salesforce. Community service remains a very important part of her life, as she supports many community initiatives, and continues to run the non-profit she founded while she was a student at the Naval Academy: Barrels by the Bay.

Many of our alumni are students at undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. Our 2021 Carson Scholar, Gitika Gorthi, is a current senior at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. Gitika is studying biomedical engineering and aspires to become a transplant surgeon and aerospace physician. She has conducted research with NASA Ames Research Center and at Columbia University Medical School, Harvard Medical School, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Gitika also gives back to her community by leading campus outreach efforts and serving on the Coca-Cola Scholars Alumni Board and on CSF’s Associate Leadership Council.

Dr. Jiang, Megan, and Gitika represent just a few of the many Carson Scholar alumni who are making a difference in their communities and professions. To learn more about these amazing scholars and others, check out our 30 Years, 30 Scholars page to read their full spotlight! Also, keep an eye out for our posts every Friday to see which alumni we highlight each week.