Christina received the “Dr. Lester Chen Memorial Scholarship,” which was established in 1980 after the death of Dr. Chen, a young physician, who had just graduated from medical school and died in an automobile accident before starting his residency training.
The Chen family established the $4,500 scholarship to be awarded to a promising young medical student who excels in academics, overall scholarship and community service. While at UCF, Christina has been active in the College of Medicine Student Council, the student Geriatric Interest Group (GIG), the VA Stand Down Against Homelessness and the send-off ceremony honoring the college’s Anatomy Lab donors.
Dr. Marcy Verduin, associate dean for students, was delighted with Christina’s honor. “As a new medical school, our students are asked to go above and beyond what is required of medical students at existing schools – they are asked to develop new student organizations, establish community outreach programs, and establish the student culture at the College of Medicine,” she said. “Christina has taken full advantage of the opportunities to serve her classmates, community, and the College of Medicine, and she has become a role model for student involvement.”
Christina couldn’t make the awards banquet in California so she wrote a three-minute speech that she asked her mother to read when she accepted the award in her daughter’s place. “I was ecstatic to win,” Christina said. “I feel so grateful and proud to be chosen with students from Johns Hopkins and Stanford. It’s an honor, and I think it also really helps put the UCF College of Medicine on the map.”