Shruthi Mekala

Shruthi will go on to medical school after completing her degree in 2022. She is a behavioral coder for the Infant Development Project within the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. An Edmund J. James Scholar and Chancellor’s Scholar, she is active in Asha, a service organization that raises money for literacy and education programs in India.

Corey Winestock

Corey will pursue a master’s degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations after graduating in May. He interned in the human resources department of Campus Recreation and worked in the Health Education Center of McKinley Health Center. A Dean’s List honoree, Corey served as vice president for the campus chapter of Make-A-Wish and vice president of operations for Active Minds.

Carolina Figueroa

After graduating this year, Carolina will work to accrue patient contact hours as an emergency medical technician before enrolling in a Physician Assistant graduate program. She works for Superior Ambulance in Chicago and has volunteered with the Carroll Fire Department in Urbana and Illini Emergency Medical Services. A Dean’s List honoree, Carolina has received a Provost Scholarship and a President’s Award Program Scholarship.

Cecilia Kattan

Cecilia will pursue graduate studies in a Physician Assistant program after graduating this year. She was an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Manuel Hernandez’s Mobility and Fall Prevention Research Lab and coauthored a paper on Tai Chi for aging adults that was presented at the regional meeting of the Midwest American Society of Biomechanics. A Dean’s List honoree, Cecilia volunteered with Illini Emergency Medical Services and Illinois REACT.

Cydney Natzke

Cydney will graduate in 2020 with a degree focused on Health Diversity. She assists Dr. Julie Bobitt with research on the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program of the Illinois Department of Public Health and works with older adults with dementia as a volunteer at The Waterford at Bridle Brook, a senior living community. She is active in Pi Beta Phi and the IlliniThon dance marathon.

Ashley Tovar-DeLeon

Ashley plans to become a pediatrician after completing her degree. A certified nursing assistant and licensed emergency medical technician, she has volunteered with Crisis Nursery and Carle Foundation Hospital and gained clinical experience at Warren Barr Living and Rehabilitation Center in Chicago. She received an Illinois Promise Scholarship and a Hispanic American Construction Industry Association Scholarship.

Mary Jones

After graduating in May, Mary will continue her education at the Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis. She was a program assistant in Campus Recreation’s Student Wellness Center. A Dean’s List honoree and Edmund J. James Scholar, Mary served as vice president and president of Interdisciplinary Health Entrepreneurs and Leaders (I-HEAL) and as the public relations coordinator of REACT.

Elijah Walker

Eli will attend medical school after graduating next year. As a personal assistant with the Beckwith Residential Support Services program, he helps students with disabilities perform the tasks of daily living. He also serves as a research assistant in the medical practice of Rockford Gastroenterology Associates. A Dean’s List honoree and Edmund J. James Scholar, Eli has received an AHS Dean’s Scholarship and a Follett Educational Foundation Scholarship.