Meet the Hall of Fame Members

Matthew Dormus

Matthew Dormus

High School Graduation Year: 2022
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2016, Decatur Adventist Junior Academy
Scholarship Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Matthew, a 7-time Carson Scholar, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ministerial theology at Oakwood University.  Matthew runs a web design business called Dormus Designs, is a student leader at his school and was recently chosen to campaign for Oakwood University Royalty for the title of “Mr. Oakwood University.”  He loves writing poetry and short stories and his long-standing dream of publishing a book will soon come to fruition with his first book “This Is Your Sign To Do Something.”  As a freshman in high school, he founded a community service organization called Operation Radiate which fundraised and facilitated outreach efforts to lonely, economically disadvantaged senior citizens.  Later, as a college freshman, Matthew used that experience and lessons learned from it to co-found a newscast called Good Morning OU to improve communication on campus.  As the co-anchor of Good Morning OU (GMOU), Matthew seeks to bring the students “campus news you can use” and utilize the platform to allow students to promote their on-campus activities and make Oakwood University the best it can be.

A fantastic opportunity of service came when Matthew was in the sixth grade.  He organized a water drive to provide clean drinking water cases for the Flint, Michigan community during the Flint Water Crisis in 2014.  Two school years later, while serving as school president, he led another water drive, collecting 470 cases of drinking water for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida.  A toy drive would follow, providing Christmas gifts for children spending the holidays at Atlanta Children’s Hospital.  Matthew also initiated a recycling program, ensuring hundreds of pounds of paper from his school would be sent to recycling centers to be repurposed into usable items rather than simply ending up in the dump.

Hannah Guan

Hannah Guan

High School Graduation Year: 2023
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School:  2021, BASIS San Antonio
Scholarship Sponsored by: Mr. Eugene Badgett

At eleven years old, Hannah, a champion for equal opportunities for all students, built a community where everyone could have just that.  She put her concern for racial disparities in education into action and founded the first math organization in her community – San Antonio Math Include (SaMi).  SaMi provides greater access to STEM education to students from all cultures, social spheres or math experience levels.  Although shy at first about finding people to help support SaMi, Hannah eventually found her footing and recruited support from organizations including The Mathematical Association of America, The National Center for Women and Information Technology and MIT’s Math Prize for Girls.  She created partnerships with the United Nations Major Group of Children and Youth and the Global Youth Constituency for Quality Education and today, SaMi’s online math programs are accessible to 306,234 youth worldwide.  Because of Hannah’s work, in six years SaMi has grown to an international network connecting more than 42,000 students to educators in 910 schools across 42 states and 15 countries.  Hers is one of the first organizations that funded The First Internship program to offer the first paid, full-time internships and training for underprivileged youth to build career paths and goals.

Hannah’s love for numbers and fascination with math has now led her to Harvard College where she is working toward her bachelor’s degree in math, economics and computer science.  She is deeply committed to utilizing her knowledge and skills to tackle the most complex social and economic challenges, with a focus on promoting equality in the technology sector.  Currently, she is a project lead at Charles River Economics Lab where she leads analysts to conduct pro-bono economic policy research.  As an associate program director for Harvard WECode (Women Engineers Code), Hannah orchestrates the world’s largest student-run women in tech conference.  She is also the inaugural Aspirations in Computing Harvard Campus Representative through the National Center for Women and Information Technology, a role which allows her to advocate for the advancement of women in tech fields.  In 2022 Hannah was the grand prize winner of the International Science and Engineering Fair and in 2023 she was a Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 40 Finalist; titles that earned her recognition as one of the most promising young scientists worldwide.  In 2023, Hannah received the distinct honor of being the sole awardee of both the Coolidge Presidential Scholarship and the US Presidential Scholarship – a full-ride distinction bestowed upon only one of 3.7 million high school graduates across the country.  As a 2-time Carson Scholar, Hannah believes that “this next generation of innovators and leaders has the power to impact positive change.”

Lia Haile

Lia Haile

High School Graduation Year: 2022
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School:  2020, Lincoln High School
Scholarship Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Lia is a 3-time Carson Scholar who is currently a sophomore at Ripon College double-majoring in history and women’s and gender studies.  After graduation, she plans to attend law school and focus on human rights and humanitarian law.  Lia is dedicated to serving and helping the most vulnerable populations in her community.  In 2012, at just nine years old, Lia founded a service initiative called Hopeful Hearts Club.  It started as a birthday club that provided personalized birthday parties for children living in her community’s homeless shelter and Lia is extremely proud that, in over 12 years, the club has never missed a child’s birthday.  Today, the club has expanded and evolved to help hundreds of underserved youth and families in Manitowoc County, WI every year.  The club now also provides free STEM summer school classes, meals, school supplies, public transportation passes, holiday events and more to those in need living at the shelter.  Lia also serves on her county’s income-based housing community’s Learning Center’s Advisory Board.  She works to provide items to children entering foster care as part of the Backpack Buddies organization and, as a project coordinator for Kan Cool, Inc., she organizes a yearly donation drive to collect backpacks and school supplies for underserved youth in her county.  To date she has collected over 10,000 items.  In 2017, Lia won a grant through US Cellular’s Future of Good Program which enabled her to create a playroom in the basement of the homeless shelter, and this year she plans to fundraise to freshen up the space.

Lia shares her service journey by giving speeches and lectures to businesses, organizations, churches, schools, etc.  Recently, she presented one of the Lightning Talks at the National Youth Leadership Council’s annual service-learning conference and completed the Anti-Hunger Advocate Certification through the US Congressional Hunger Center.  She consistently fundraises, collaborates and writes grants in order to keep her programs and projects running.  Lia states that the mission statement of the Hopeful Hearts Club defines who she is and what she hopes to accomplish in her lifetime: “to provide every child enough to eat, a safe place to sleep, access to quality education, and hope for a better future.”

William Tantribeau

William Tantribeau

High School Graduation Year: 2019
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School:  2018, Gabrielino High School
Scholarship Sponsored by: The Eleni and Wolfgang Gagon Trust

William is a 2022 graduate of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) where he received a degree in public health sciences.  He is currently working on his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.   As an undergrad, William was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) research grant along with the title of a Distinguished Research Fellow at UCI.  This opportunity allowed him to spearhead a grant proposal and collect and present data that was extremely fruitful for UCI’s OB/GYN department’s understanding of pregnancy-related vascular complications.  Although William’s research helped identify a “puzzle piece” of a problem, it didn’t lead to any potential solutions to directly help today’s patients.  This led William to realize that he is more interested in researching potential medication therapies that could have direct effects for patients in the present and thus began his journey towards a PharmD.

William served as the creative lead on UNICEF USA’s National Council, a team assembled to manage and support UNICEF’s high school and university clubs across the country.  In this role, he led a vaccine awareness campaign aimed to lessen the stigma around critical immunizations for children around the world.  During the pandemic, as a member of the COPE Health Scholars program, William advocated for members of the program to take an active part in the COVID-vaccination clinic and was vital in streamlining the vaccine administration process in East Los Angeles.  Today, William works as a pharmacy technician and is proud to use his linguistic repertoire of four languages to bridge a gap for patients.  He is also a member of Delta Omega, the national honorary society for studies in public health, and he looks forward to eventually combining his pharmacy and public health knowledge to improve community health.

Vedant Tapiavala

Vedant Tapiavala

High School Graduation Year: 2022
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School:  2021, School for the Talented and Gifted
Scholarship Sponsored by: Costco Wholesale Corporation

Vedant uses his love for and knowledge of technology to work on large-scale humanitarian projects to make a difference for people.  As a freshman in high school, Vedant, along with a friend, created AlzBuddy, an app to help early-stage Alzheimer’s patients.  His app won the TX-30 Congressional App Challenge and he was invited to present to the US House of Representatives.  The app has four modules designed to help users reminisce, utilize brain activity through games and hear words of affirmation and positivity.  Today, AlzBuddy has over 10,000 downloads across 37 countries and Vedant’s work has been featured in several media outlets including the Forbes Communications Council.  Vedant also serves as a director of Future Forward, a nonprofit organization combating food waste and food insecurity.  He helped develop an app for the organization called FoodNex, which helps food banks and pantries manage donations from businesses and individual donors.  To date, FoodNex has coordinated donations of over 390,000 pounds of food worth over $421,000.

Vedant, a 2-time Carson Scholar, started college at age 16 and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience on the pre-med track at Dartmouth College.  In high school, he conducted research as part of the NIH Summer Internship Program in the neurological disorders and stroke labs.  He has developed algorithms for research at Dartmouth that help consolidate literature reviews and other currently unpublished algorithms – work that earned him the title of a Neukom Scholar.  At Dartmouth, he leads Dartmouth Generations, one of the school’s biggest clubs, which visits local nursing homes to talk to seniors and invites speakers to the school to discuss caring for dementia patients.   He is also on the Executive Committee of the Dartmouth Coalition for Global Health, which creates and explores global health case studies.

Zoe Mele

Zoe Mele

High School Graduation Year: 2017
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2016
Scholarship Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Zoe is a senior at the University of Southern California studying Human Biology and Business Administration. Zoe has continued her volunteer work in college by working with Make-A-Wish of the greater Los Angeles area. She is starting her second consecutive year as President of the Make-A-Wish branch at the University of Southern California. Not only is Zoe a certified wish granter, working one on one with wish kids to make their dreams come true, but she has children come to USC events such as a football game and basketball game each year. As a senior, she is currently completing research at CHLA and working on being published working a physician in Chicago. She also is a volunteer at the Orthopedic Institute for Children.

When she was eleven years old, she witnessed her mother suffer from a stroke. It was in that moment that Zoe knew she wanted to become a physician. From this experience, Zoe learned to cherish every day, be kind, and let her loved ones know that she loves them.

Ryan Briscoe

Ryan Briscoe

High School Graduation Year: 2018
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2014
Scholarship Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Ryan pursues a major in Biochemistry with two minors in Business Management and Nutrition at Case Western Reserve University. Ryan began his journey by founding the X-STEM club at his high school, and by being an advocate for the benefits of STEM-related careers and the need for having hands-on learning opportunities in the early academic years. The program is still active today, increasing with new volunteers and students every year.

Today, Ryan volunteers at the University Hospital where he assists by comforting patients and families while supporting the hospital staff with paperwork and patient requests. He also volunteers as an intern at the Cleveland Clinic. He assists his mentor with cardiovascular disease research by preparing lab materials and conducting small procedures under his guidance. Additionally, Ryan has co-founded a non-profit organization called Arts-n-STEM4Hearts. This organization reaches out to healthcare institutions in the community to provide art therapy through distributing art supplies and holding workshops for patients in hospitals and elders in nursing homes.

Christina Patterson

Christina Patterson

High School Graduation Year: 2019
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2015
Scholarship Sponsored by: Pittsburgh Chapter

Christina is currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. After her brother was diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, Christina studied vigorously for wheelchairs for him in the months and years to follow. Still unsatisfied, she contacted a local engineering lab and pleaded with them to let her take part in their field work. She was elated to be part of a team working on an in-depth review paper for individual’s trialing various assistive devices. Engineering gave Christina the space to solve problems collaboratively and innovatively. Her goal is to gather the tools needed to improve the quality of life for the physically disabled population.

In order to keep her cultures thriving, Christina teaches Sunday school to the grade school children at her church, incorporating ancient Coptic chants and hymns. Although she does not speak Arabic or Coptic, Christina is able to relay the gist of most conversations to other English-only speakers. In this way, her role has become the “translator.”

Vani Senthil

Vani Senthil

High School Graduation Year: 2019
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2018
Scholarship Sponsored by: Costco Wholesale Corporation

Vani is a freshman studying Cell and Molecular Biology at Augusta University. Vani is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal which taught her how to take risks, develop passions, and utilize her potential. Vani completed over 400 hours of voluntary service by launching her own volunteer tutoring class, volunteering at the hospital, and assisting with the Summer Reading Program. A few years ago, Vani joined the Lilburn Tamil School, a group dedicated to teaching Tamil, an Indian language, to young Indians who have grown up in America. Vani saw the opportunity to cultivate this next generation of American-born Indians by instilling in them her genuine passions for education. Her class began with five students but quickly grew to over twenty just through recommendations. It was an incredible learning experience for everyone involved, making it what Vani considers her most meaningful accomplishment.

The summer after her junior year in high school, Vani had the invaluable opportunity to complete a summer research internship at Georgia State University. Her lab was researching the extremely aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, which currently has no targeted therapies. Vani’s biggest takeaway from this experience is that she now has an active role in curing cancer, and in the future, will be able to expand on that role.

Molly O’Neil

Molly O’Neil

High School Graduation Year: 2012
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2004
Scholarship Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Molly attends the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine where she is earning her Doctorate degree of Osteopathic Medicine. She has been a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician with the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad (LVRS) since December of 2016. This past summer, she had the opportunity to work for an organization called Orphan Voice. Orphan Voice is a Christian, holistic child development ministry that provides for the needs of “the least of these” in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. During her time at Orphan Voice, Molly hosted two, three-hour seminars where she covered simple osteopathic techniques and home stretches to relieve the every-day back pain caused by Cerebral Palsy.

When she was fifteen, Molly’s mother underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery. More than just treating her tremors, the teams of physicians helped give Molly’s mother her smile back. It was then that Molly realized that she desired to become an agent of change in the lives of families and medicine was the only road to take.

Meghana Iragavarapu

High School Graduation Year: 2017
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2016, The Early College at Guilford
Sponsored by: The Greensboro Chapter of the Carson Scholars Fund

Meghana is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at Duke University where she attends a cutting-edge Duke program titled, “Intersection of Food and Medicine.”  In the summer of 2018, Meghana worked for a non-profit called The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine which is affiliated with Tulane University’s Medical School.  Meghana worked with doctors, dietitians, culinary nutritionists, and community volunteers to organize and run free cooking classes to teach cardiac patients unable to afford proper post-operative care how to use food and kitchen skills to reduce their recurrence and risk rates for further complications and diseases.

Meghana currently serves as Chair of the Robertson Community Council, connecting over 200 scholars on Duke University and the University of North Carolina’s campuses to engage in service activities geared toward specific themes each academic year. This year, she has helped partner with local urban ministries and food shelters to help package and donate meal supplies.

Swetha Prabakaran

High School Graduation Year: 2017
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2015, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Sponsored by: The Carson Scholars Fund

Swetha is studying Computer Science and Dance and Performance Studies at the University of California at Berkeley.  Swetha’s societal impact cannot be overstated.  She is the founder of the non-profit organization, Everybody Code Now!, which engages students, especially young women, in the Computer Science and STEM fields through the organization’s various coding programs.  Her organization is responsible for raising over $65,000 that has helped schools expand their Computer Science education programs. Further, Everybody Code Now! has had over 1,500 students worldwide complete their programs.

Thanks to her non-profit work, Swetha had the opportunity to share her passion for technology on a tremendous scale over the past few years.  She has spoken about her work at various venues including the White House after being named a Champion of Change in 2015 and on Google DC’s “Future of Innovation” Panel alongside Code.org’s COO and President Obama’s Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion.  She has also spoken with audiences ranging from 500 middle school girls and families at an AAUW conference to educators at Columbia University on a number of topics.

Capri D’Souza

High School Graduation Year: 2018
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2017, Northwest High School
Sponsored by: The Greensboro Chapter of the Carson Scholars Fund

Capri attends the University of North Carolina where she is earning her degree in Business.  In 2017, Capri received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal in Washington D.C. for her servant leadership.  Specifically, Capri completed over 400 hours of voluntary service by supporting a STEM-based girl’s organization, STEMBees, in Accra, Ghana.  Volunteering for STEMBees in Ghana provided Capri with a transformational experience where she spent time with underprivileged young girls who are at high risk of sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy.  Capri also made a presentation on the importance of women in STEM professions, which was discussed extensively at the North Carolina Governor’s School.

Capri’s mother’s battle with Stage IV gastric cancer made her realize that she could live Gandhi’s words: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  Her mother’s struggle, while painful and difficult, taught her valuable lessons, and has instilled in her an important mission: To help those facing the kinds of adversity and pain that she had come to know firsthand.  Her passion is paying it forward, giving back to society, never forgetting the kindness of people who made a difference in her life.

Diana Wilson

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2012, Smyrna High School
Sponsored by: The Delaware Chapter of the Carson Scholars Fund

Diana is a University of Virginia graduate where she majored in Sociology and Women Gender Studies.  As a first-generation Ghanaian American college student, she has completed prestigious programs with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Google, and JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Diana won the McKinsey Woman’s Social Impact Award for her work with college students in Ghana regarding their civic engagement. Moreover, with all the racial tension and chaos surrounding her school’s campus in Charlottesville, Diana has worked on the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers project. This memorial will be constructed on the University of Virginia’s campus.  Recently, Diana created Yielding Accomplished African Women: Ghana’s first finance and technology talent accelerator for women. Her mission is to create a pipeline that will empower African women to develop a gender specific professional toolkit that will advance their careers in business or technology.

Grant Mercer

High School Graduation Year: 2016
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2015, Harrison High School
Sponsored by: Mr. Dennis & Mrs. Katheryn Kiley

Grant is majoring in Biology, International Affairs and Spanish at the University of Georgia.  Grant was honorably named the National Eagle Scout of the Year for his outstanding character and dedication to his community which was manifested through his leadership in helping to create a nature sanctuary that is now endorsed by the Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

Grant’s trailblazing spirit eventually led to him founding a mentoring group called Building Buddies.  This idea came about when Grant brought hundreds of Legos to a homeless shelter so that he could bond with kids while building Legos.  Grant offered an ear, occasional advice, and fun to children experiencing tough times.  This idea has led to Building Buddies having collected $20,000 worth of Legos that have been given to 750 children in three different states.

After his run as “Lego Man,” Grant aspires to become a doctor.

Rafee Al-Mansur

High School Graduation Year: 2009
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2006, North Point High School
College/University: Johns Hopkins University

Rafee, a 2013 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy at the University of Maryland. Throughout his Master’s program, he has conducted over 700 hours of therapy with individuals, couples and families, culminating in the honor of receiving the Jennifer Becker Caswell Award for excellence in clinical work. While working on his Master’s, Rafee is working with the non-profit organization, BuildOn, to fundraise $30,000 for a new school in a rural village in Senegal. He also founded TimeBloqs, a time management app that helps you track your time and evaluate your performance throughout the day.

If Rafee could tell his ten-year-old self one thing, it would be to take initiative when opportunities present themselves and to never stop believing in himself.

Amanda Biederman Cenname

High School Graduation Year: 2010
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2006, New Windsor Middle School
College/University: Salisbury University

I graduated with my Ph.D. in biology last fall, and I have been working as a science writer for The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc., since September 2019. We work with scientists from various organizations, including the NIH and EPA, to provide communications support to scientists from a broad array of technical fields. I love my job; it is the perfect blend of my skills in writing and scientific research.

Jahnavi Kola

High School Graduation Year: 2016
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2015, Old Mill High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund
College/University: Johns Hopkins University

Jahnavi, who is currently studying molecular & cellular biology and public health studies at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), puts her heart into everything she does. Inspired by her younger brother and the joy that he has brought to her life, she is in the process of co-starting the first Special Olympics event ever held at JHU. Since high school, Jahnavi has volunteered in the outpatient oncology department at Johns Hopkins Hospital and enjoys bringing a bit of hope to a family’s darkest days. She has been dancing ballet, tap, jazz, Bollywood, and Kuchipudi since the age of four.

If Jahnavi could tell her ten-year-old self one thing, it would be to stop caring so much about what other people think of her, and that life is more enjoyable when you let loose, follow your heart, and go with the flow.

Ella Walsh

High School Graduation Year: 2012
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2009, Quigley Catholic High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund
College/University: Duquesne University

Ella, a neonatal intensive care nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, is passionate about helping those around her. As a community research assistant, she worked on a research project to better understand the causes of health disparities that young women face in regards to maternal and neonatal health. Ella is most proud of graduating as valedictorian of her nursing class at Duquesne while working as a community research assistant and two part-time jobs. Her story has come full circle: born with a fatal infection, she spent the first days of her life as a patient at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Ella is honored to share her career of saving the lives of neonates with the same team that saved hers.

Due to her compassionate and nurturing personality, Ella says that her spirit animal would be an elephant.

Joseph Wyrwas

High School Graduation Year: 2007
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2003, Archbishop Spalding High School
College/University: University of Maryland, College Park

Joseph ignites positive social change in his community through a variety of leadership groups. During his time at the University of Maryland, he was a member of the Peer Leadership Council, creating and facilitating learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students on campus. Along with other members of the organization, Joseph designed and implemented a four-day leadership immersion experience for new students. Currently, he is involved with Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) Maryland, through which he shares his knowledge of personal development and mentors students in various aspects of leadership education. As a software and systems engineer for multiple work streams on a Department of Defense web application, Joseph has been instrumental in the coordination and evaluation of projects across organizations.

Joseph would tell his ten-year-old self that life is about experiences and to never let self-doubt dissuade him from doing what he loves.

Manaal Ali

High School Graduation Year: 2016
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2015, Harrisburg High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund
College/University: Augustana University

Manaal is most proud of having written a young adult novel at the age of 16 which is set to be published in winter of 2016.  She currently attends Augustana University and is involved with a variety of activities. She has volunteered at LifeScape, a home for intellectually and developmentally disabled children, where she mentors young residents. Manaal has also run the Life Science Discovery Program at Washington Pavilion, taught animal dissections, mentored a robot engineering class which scored second in the state, and started two nationwide nonprofits: Starts with Soap and Civic Duty. She was selected as a PROMISE Scholar at Sanford Research, where she works with molecular biology researchers. Manaal will continue to work at Sanford Research throughout the next four years of college making her the youngest long-term researcher in the facility.

Manaal would empower her ten-year-old self by telling her that she is “smart enough to compete among the smartest, strong enough to fight beside the strongest, and important enough to be remembered by many.”

Evan Barnard

High School Graduation Year: 2016
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2014, Johns Creek High School
Sponsored by: Costco Wholesale Corporation
College/University: University of Georgia

For eight years, Evan has worked with the visually impaired community advocating for the blind and others with disabilities to experience the outdoors through braille trails and sensory gardens. Through applying for and being awarded grants, Evan designed and created a braille trail in his community. He regularly holds nature walks for visually impaired adults and children, and has created an international database of braille trails and sensory gardens. Evan has received a number of distinguished awards including the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, the National Arbor Day Foundation Education Innovation Award, and the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award. He has worked with legislators to support programs that provide better outdoor access to those with disabilities and gave a TEDx talk as part of TEDx Global Youth Day, which resulted in him being selected as an Action for Nature International Eco-Hero. Evan attends the University of Georgia where he is a student in the Odum School of Ecology.

Like a phoenix, Evan regenerates himself from the ashes of his “predecessors” or what he has already learned and created to continue to expand and enhance his advocacy and work in the community.

Da'Kuawn Johnson

High School Graduation Year: 2013
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2006, Federal Hill Preparatory School
Sponsored by: The Abell Foundation
College/University: University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC)

Da’Kuawn is a senior at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC) studying biochemistry, molecular biology, and Spanish. As a freshman, he was a third author on a research publication in the scientific journal Diabetes. Da’Kuawn has received several distinguished honors including being named a Meyerhoff Premier Scholar and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunity Program (Exrop) Scholar at Yale University.  Da’Kuawn is passionate about the field of STEM and helping other students succeed academically. In college, he serves as a tutor and an undergraduate teaching assistant. He also judges and volunteers his time at high school science fairs, and visits his old high school to share college application advice with students.

Da’Kuawn is strong-willed and strong-hearted, and continues to persevere even when life tries to shoot him down. “Titanium” by David Guetta best describes him.

Megan Rosenberger

High School Graduation Year: 2013
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2012, Saint Joseph High School
Sponsored by: Pittsburgh Chapter of the Carson Scholars Fund
College/University: United States Naval Academy

Megan is a senior at the United States Naval Academy majoring in political science. Prior to attending the Naval Academy, Megan was a recipient of the President’s Environmental Youth Award and was crowned Miss Teen Earth Pennsylvania. She is passionate about bringing awareness to the world’s water crisis, which led her to create Barrels by the Bay, a nonprofit organization aimed to educate students about water resources and demonstrate the importance of utilizing rain barrels. Megan also serves as a project leader for Harvest for the Hungry and works with the Midshipman Action Group at the Naval Academy.

Megan embraces any “brick walls” that she might encounter on her journey as they make the journey more interesting and the reward more fulfilling.

Lisa Stabryla

High School Graduation Year: 2011
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2010, Pittsburgh Carrick High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund
College/University: University of Pittsburgh

Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental engineering with the goal of obtaining a tenure-track-faculty position. Lisa was an author on a scientific publication published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. She helps to inspire female and minority students to pursue STEM fields through working with the Fund for Advancement of Minorities through Education as a MATHCOUNTS instructor and with the INVESTING NOW Summer Enrichment Program at the University of Pittsburgh. Lisa volunteers for the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation Teach-a-Teacher Workshop to motivate middle school teachers to adopt sustainability and engineering practices into the classroom.

Due to her strength, courage, confidence, and her desire to teach and help others, Lisa acknowledges the bear as her spirit animal.

Michael Kochis

High School Graduation Year: 2011
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2009, Montour High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Michael found his calling in medicine early in high school and is currently practicing as a surgical resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Throughout his career in academic surgery, he will strive to master the skills of not just operating on the human body, but also caring for the human person.  By getting involved with medical education, he seeks to promote this ethos throughout the field.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and a certificate in global health and health policy.  He then continued his studies at Harvard Medical School, receiving his MD with honors in 2020.  While at Harvard, he was awarded a Zuckerman Fellowship to pursue a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Education.

Throughout all these experiences, he has deeply valued interacting with and learning from people whose backgrounds and interests are different from his own.  He is grateful for all that has been invested in him and is eager to pay it forward.

Kylie Lan Tumiatti

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2013, Melbourne High School
Sponsored by: Mr. Robert DeMarco

Kylie Lan has received several prestigious awards including Nestle’s Very Best in Youth Award, Nickelodeon’s HALO Award and was named one of ESPN’s “18 Under 18,” which highlights “female teen athletes who are doing remarkable things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities,” stated by ESPN. As an adopted child, Kylie Lan hopes to instill confidence and courage to stand up to bullying to other adopted children. She works with Operation Hope, a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy to migrant worker children. Kylie Lan attends Seton Hall University, where she coordinates different programs serving the community as a member of the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE).

Kylie Lan has and continues to persevere through seemingly insurmountable odds and has adopted the camel as her spirit animal.

Jeremy Garriga

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2011, Academy of Technology and Design
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

At the age of 18, Jeremy started his own nonprofit called Soxcess, which is aimed at providing the needy with clothing and other necessities. Jeremy has also served as an EMT for the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps since the age of 15. He has travelled to Honduras through his school, Seton Hall University, to provide health services to villagers in need. In 2015, Jeremy was selected as a recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award for the Youth in Service category. He was also chosen to represent the state of New Jersey at the National Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C., where he was able to speak with Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotommayor about his nonprofit organization.

“In order to lead a positive life, you would have to carve it out yourself; do not be a follower. No one person can do it for you, your destiny is your responsibility.” These are words that Jeremy clearly has followed.

Sreya Atluri

High School Graduation Year: 2015
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2014, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Sponsored by: DC Metro Chapter of the Carson Scholars Fund

Sreya is the CEO and founder of Creating Awareness in Research and Education (CARE) and serves as executive director for Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE). The two nonprofit organizations help address education disparities across socioeconomic levels. Sreya is also heavily involved in STEM outreach and was a member of her county’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council.

Sreya always remains true to herself and strongly believes in upholding her morals through adversity. “I Am Me” by Willow Smith best describes her.

Evan Mercer

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2013. Harrison High School
Sponsored by: Cesar Quesada-Rosa Memorial

As valedictorian of his high school class, Evan spoke about his struggles as a deaf person and how to never give up. His speech when viral online and has helped people across the world deal with not only hearing impairments, but also other chronic illnesses and mental health issues. Evan is currently studying neuroscience at Vanderbilt University. In college, he volunteers tutoring children and leads a science lab at Safe Haven, a shelter dedicated to keeping homeless families intact.

Evan was born a fighter and never backs down from an obstacle, which is why the wolverine represents his spirit animal.

Ben Barsam

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2007, Hickory Elementary School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Ben graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2018 with a B.S. in History. Following graduation, he completed an accelerated M.A. in History at the University of Maryland. For his graduate degree he focused on American expansion into global preeminence in the late 1800s. The next spring, he moved to San Diego, CA to check into his first navy unit. Although the navy demands a lot of time and energy, Ben tries to remain balanced and well-rounded. He participated in musical theater in high school and a capella choir in high school. He is a platelet donor who has a 10 gallon Red Cross pin. He recently married his college sweetheart and looks forward to being stationed in the same place as her so that they can purchase a home and build their marriage into a life together.

Pavitra Krishnamani

High School Graduation Year: 2011
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2008, Charter School of Wilmington
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Pavitra went to college at the age of sixteen and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in global medicine from the University of Southern California. In college, she mentored and tutored middle and high school students, helping to increase their collective GPA from below a 1.0 to over a 3.0. She is currently attending medical school in Philadelphia. She serves as vice president of Refugee Health Partners and helps refugees in the community with clinical support.

Pavitra reflects, “the ability to accept others for who they are without judgment and only expect for them what they believe to be the best for themselves will one day serve as your greatest virtue.”

Kathryn Woods

High School Graduation Year: 2008
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2004, Jean Childs Young Middle School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Kathryn is most proud of presenting her Breast Cancer Research at the American Association of Cancer Research’s annual meeting in April 2015. She earned her bachelors degree in biomedical sciences from the University of Georgia, her master’s degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is currently in the doctoral program  at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Kathryn enjoys being a supporting and encouraging of her peers. She volunteers through various programs with her church and was a former cheerleading coach.

“You Can’t Stop Me” by Andy Mineo describes Kathryn. There are many things in life (including yourself sometimes) that try to hold you back, but you have to have trust that nothing will deter you from your dreams and goals in life.

Asia McCallum

High School Graduation Year: 2014
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2008, Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School
Sponsored by: The Abell Foundation

Asia is pursuing a degree in design at Howard University. She is building a socially responsible fashion line that will evolve into the areas of wearable technology, retail and wholesale industries. One of her goals is to exhibit in D.C. Fashion Week. Asia is a costume designer for Howard Players, which is a performing arts organization at Howard University that has been active since 1919. In addition, she interns with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship – a business education program.

Asia stays so motivated by refining her goals every six-month – whether it be personal records to break, community service projects to complete, places to travel to, or career moves to embark on – she is leaving her legacy.

Justin Bullock

High School Graduation Year: 2010
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2009, Renaissance High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Justin graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. At MIT, Justin was captain of the track and field team and was awarded the Admiral Edward L. Cochrane Award, which is given to a senior male showing the highest qualities of humility, leadership and inspiration in collegiate athletics. He now attends the University of California, San Francisco where he is involved in a program for medial students who want to serve underservered urban populations in the United States.

Justin reflects, “all of my success in life has come when I truly followed my passions and not what other people said I should do.”

Alexandra Vlk

High School Graduation Year: 2013
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2012, Dulaney High School
Sponsored by: Mount Moriah Lodge Charitable Fund Endowment, Dulaney High School

• 2017 graduated from Towson University with Honors, bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry
• currently an MD/PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
• studying how variations in the genetics of innate immune pathways, specifically toll-like receptor 4, influence susceptibility to and severity of inflammatory bowel diseases
• advice: in everything you do, do your best and be kind

Emily Bock

High School Graduation Year: 2006
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 1999, Carroll Manor Elementary School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Emily received her bachelor’s degree in international business from Georgetown University. While living in Baltimore, she was on the Emerging Leaders United committee for United Way, which helped organize volunteer programs and networking events specifically geared towards recruiting more young professional volunteers. Now living in New York, Emily volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that provides mentors to children facing adversity. Emily has also supported the One Love Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation since 2010.

Through experience, Emily has learned to never stop reaching for more than what you think you’re capable of. She is not afraid to ask for what she wants and believes that working smarter outweighs working harder.

Ashley Zachery-Savella

High School Graduation Year: 2012
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2008, Magothy River Middle School
Sponsored by: Magothy River Middle School Endowment #2

Ashley graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with bachelor’s degrees in neurobiology, physiology and biochemistry. In college, she was involved in the Gemstone Honors College in which she was required to complete a four-year long research project. For her project, she studied Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout high school, she made paper cranes for children with cancer and continued the effort through her co-ed honor fraternity in college. She worked as the clinical research coordinator for the Epilepsy Department at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Currently, Ashley is a MD-PhD student at the University of Utah. She is doing her Neuroscience PhD in Karen Wilcox’s lab, where she studies mGluR5 expression in astrocytes in epilepsy. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease during her second year of medical school, so now she spend her free time advocating for her fellow disabled graduate students through her program’s diversity committee. Ashley is very open about her disability and hopes to educate others about it, given her current career path in medicine and research.

Frederica Lamar

High School Graduation Year: 2011
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2007, Jean Childs Young Middle School
Sponsored by: UPS Foundation

Frederica graduated from Johns Hopkins University not only with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, but also as a world traveler having traveled to Ghana, Brazil, Germany and Jamaica. She interned with the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the University of Hawaii – Hilo. Frederica recently moved to New Orleans to start a two-year MSPH program in Global Environmental Health Sciences. Although new to New Orleans, she is already volunteering in beautification projects throughout the city.

Because of her nurturing and protective reputation with her family and friends, Frederica would select the female polar bear as her spirit animal.

Gaurav Luthria

High School Graduation Year: 2013
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2011, Hammond High School
Sponsored by: Howard County General Hospital Endowment

Gaurav is studying bioinformatics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has a passion for developing computational tools to help diagnose and treat diseases and has researched such topics at internships with Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, as well as at the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of the lab, Gaurav tutors students, is a teaching assistant and participates in hackathons focused on new technology development.

Gaurav believes the best service he can do for his community is sharing his knowledge in the fields of computer science, biology and chemistry, and is committed to sharing his skills with others.

Edric Zeng

High School Graduation Year: 2015
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2014, Lawrence North High School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Edric is studying human biology and Spanish at Stanford University. In spring 2015, Edric, along with two classmates, started The Kind Initiative at his school in which students promote and deliver small random acts of kindness across campus. He believes in the domino effect and that small deeds can start a movement. Edric recognizes the importance of kindness and believes that it was his friends, family and community who helped him get to where he is today.

Edric chose the sea otter as his spirit animal not only because of their love for social interaction, but also because of their intelligence and resiliency.

Jesse Carrey-Beaver

High School Graduation Year: 2009
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2008, Baltimore School for the Arts
Sponsored by: The Michel and David Modell Fund for Education Endowment

Jesse is currently playing the role of Neil Kellerman in the national tour of Dirty Dancing. He starred in the world premiere of To Dance, the story of Valery Panov, who was a rising star with the Kirov Ballet during Cold War Russia. For his performance, he won the Fringe Festival Overall Excellence for Acting Award. Jesse enjoys sharing his talents with others and works with all ages of aspiring actors, dancers and singers, where he coaches them and encourages self-confidence and fearlessness.

Jesse reminds us that, “you are special and unique, and be the best version of yourself – not of anyone else.”

Lindsay Thompson

High School Graduation Year: 2009
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2005, Centreville Middle School
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Lindsay earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Washington College and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Growing up on a farm on Maryland’s eastern shore, she developed a passion for protecting the agricultural industry. As a part of a coalition of agricultural advocacy groups, Lindsay helped defeat legislation that would require farmers to label pesticides in a way, which was not grounded in science. She also works with the Chesapeake Bay Program to promote accuracy in modeling agricultural inputs.

Lindsay would do anything for her family and friends and always try to “pay it forward” for the blessings in her life. She chose “Lean on Me” as the song that best describes her.

Paul Serrato

High School Graduation Year: 2015
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2014, Apalachee High School
Sponsored by: Mr. Dennis & Mrs. Katheryn Kiley

Paul received his bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors and master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University. During his time at Stanford, he applied his coursework by assisting with clinical operations research at Stanford Health Care and working on process improvement for a multi-specialty hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. He also served on the National Advisory Board for the Haas Center for Public Service and volunteered as an EMT for the Stanford Emergency Medical Service. Paul now works as a clinical operations fellow for a federally qualified health center that provides primary care services to low-income residents in Silicon Valley. Viewing medicine as a form of public service, he aspires to become a physician and hospital administrator to improve health systems and expand the availability of healthcare to underserved populations.