Angela Essa, SOM ’23, said she has “always been really curious about medicine and the biology of disease and how we treat it.”

Helen Tsiagras, RN, Doctor of Nursing Practice student in the Graduate School of Nursing Graduate Entry Pathway Program, began her nursing career during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as secretary for the Graduate Student Nursing Organization.

MD/PhD student Laël Ngangmeni, MBS, started school when she was 3 in her home country of Cameroon. A natural-born learner and curious thinker, Ngangmeni knew science was her calling.

Born and raised on Cape Cod, Ryan Barrette, SOM ’21 knew he would have a future in medicine after witnessing the care given to his cousin, who was diagnosed with DiGeorge syndrome.

Emily Davenport always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Now in her third year on the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track, she began work as an RN at UMass Memorial Medical Center when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Mohona Gupta, third-year PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, moved to Massachusetts from Kolkata, India in 2018 to attend UMass Medical School. It was the first time she had ever left her hometown, her family and her house for more than a few days.

Second-year School of Medicine student Mina Botros is the co-president of the Worcester Free Care Collaborative, a group of free medical programs in the greater Worcester area that offers free patient care. 

Graduate School of Nursing student Irina Rojas knew health care was her calling when she witnessed doctors and nurses caring for New Orleans in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Anne Carlisle, PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, came to Massachusetts from Nebraska in 2015. She is studying in the Dohoon Kim lab, investigating the role of selenium in cancer cells.

GEP-DNP student Madeline Lane, GSN ’23, serves as a co-president for the Graduate Student Nursing Organization. She plans to become an adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner and is passionate about connecting with others and serving diverse groups.

Sean Teebagy, SOM ’23, is an aspiring physician, a Shrewsbury native and Holy Cross graduate. The son of a physician, he is passionate about helping others and giving back to his community.

Kasturi Biswas, a PhD candidate in neurobiology, traveled from her native India to Massachusetts to study at UMass Medical School.