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New medical school scholarship established for Furman graduates


Last updated July 15, 2015

By News administrator

Thanks to the generosity of the Sanders Family Foundation of Greenville, a Furman graduate will be able to attend the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (USCSOMG) on a full scholarship throughout the student’s time at the medical school.

Dr. John Sanders, a Greenville physician and 1988 Furman graduate, said his family wanted to ensure that financial circumstances were not a deterrent for a deserving young Furman alumnus to attend medical school.  “Providing this scholarship is a great way for my family to support our interests in both education and the healthcare needs in this community,” he said.  “And we hope this award can help keep talented and aspiring medical professionals here in Greenville.”

The new Paladin Scholarship will be awarded annually to a Furman graduate attending the medical school.  The first recipient of the Scholarship is Taylor Mitchell of Hephzibah, Ga., who graduated from Furman in 2015 with a B.S. degree in biology and will begin attending the Greenville medical school in July.

USCSOMG is a four-year medical program developed as a partnership between USC and Greenville Health System (GHS).  In 2013, GHS became a nationally-recognized academic health center through its partnership with Furman, University of South Carolina and Clemson University.

“Furman is proud of its partnership with GHS and the medical school, and this scholarship is particularly meaningful since so many of our students are interested in pursuing health-related careers,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis.  “We are deeply grateful to the Sanders Family Foundation for providing such generous assistance.  It will certainly make a difference in the lives of many Furman graduates who hope to attend medical school.”

Jerry R. Youkey, MD, dean of the USC School of Medicine Greenville, said the Paladin Scholarship furthers the partnership’s mission by creating more opportunities between institutions to develop the next generation of highly-skilled health professionals.

“Scholarship support is an investment in our community,” he said.  “The Paladin Scholarship allows us to recruit and retain the best and brightest students in the Upstate and train them to serve the unique health care needs of our region.”

In addition to graduating Cum Laude from Furman, Mitchell was a Dean’s List student and a recipient of the James B. Duke Scholarship.  She served as a Resident Assistant and Admissions Ambassador, and was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honor Society and Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society.

Mitchell also served on the executive boards of the Furman Gospel Ensemble and the Student League for Black Culture, and worked in the research lab of Furman biology professor Dr. Jason Rawlings during the summer of 2013. As a result of that research, her lab published a paper in the academic journal, Molecular Immunology.

A graduate of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Ga., she is the daughter of Yule and Beverly Mitchell of Hephzibah.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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