SMDEP Alumni News

Congratulations to Our 2011 Ambassador Incentive Winners!

Each year SMDEP honors up to three Ambassadors who recruit the most students that apply to SMDEP, and are accepted into the program. Winners will be funded to attend a medical or dental related professional conference. The conference must be approved by the SMDEP National Program Office.

2011 Ambassador Incentive Winners

This year, we had a two-way tie, which resulted in four winners. This year's winners are:

Doris Blondelle Takwe attended SMDEP at UT Houston in 2010. She is a rising senior Honors student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore majoring in biology. She performs community service work and shadows at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

Athena Zhang attended SMDEP at UT Houston in 2010. She is a rising senior at the University of Houston majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. She plans to apply to medical school in the summer of 2011.

Nelvin Acevedo Valle attended SMDEP at the Case Western in 2010. He is a rising junior at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, majoring in chemistry. After graduation, he plans to attend Medical School. Nelvin wants to become a successful Neuron-Pediatric Surgeon where he can help people and also help young minority students reach their goals in life.

Thomas Sumter attended SMDEP at the University of Virginia in 2010. He is a rising junior at Voorhees College with a major in Biology and minor in chemistry. Thomas wants to work in the Medical Field, preferably as a family physician with a Neurology or Cardiology specialty.

Alumni Profile

Meet Vanessa Maycumber! Vanessa attended SMDEP at the University of Washington in 2007. After completing SMDEP, Vanessa attended the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at Kansas State University in 2009. She is currently enrolled as a second year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Vanessa is a part of the Targeted Rural/Underserved Track (TRUST) program that connects Montana and Washington residents with a rural mentor and clinical site in their home state. She is also a National Health Service Corps scholar. In the future, Vanessa hopes to complete a residency in family practice and practice in rural Montana. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, reading, traveling, hiking, and cooking.