For nearly 35 years, the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation has gifted health career-minded students with college scholarships.
Foundation leaders said they recently presented its annual scholarship award, in the amount of $155,000, to 88 outstanding and diverse High Desert students.
During the awards dinner on June 20 in Victorville, scholarship recipients were recognized and presented certificates from Foundation Executive Director Sunitha Reddy and Foundation Co-founder Dr. Venkamma Reddy.
“We’re proud to honor this year’s scholarship recipient class who have shown an exemplary commitment to healthcare and a sincere desire to help others,” Sunitha Reddy said. “We are so touched by the stories of our scholarship recipients and their tenacity and dedication, and we are honored to help them realize their greatest potential.”
Since the foundation’s inception in 1989, more than 850 students have received more than $1.8 million in scholarships, foundation leaders stated.
Founded by Dr. Prem Reddy, the chairman and CEO of Prime Healthcare, the foundation said it has also donated millions of dollars to various charities supporting health education, college scholarships, public healthcare education, and free community clinics both locally and across the globe.
This year, the foundation scholarship saw a record number of applicants by students ranging in age from 16 to 54.
From high school students overcoming significant hardships to single mothers pursuing their dreams of healthcare service, each recipient demonstrated academic excellence and a sincere commitment to serving the healthcare needs of the community, the foundation stated.
“The journey you are embarking on is not just a career, it is a calling. A calling that requires compassion, empathy, and a fundamental desire to help others,” Sunitha Reddy told the students at the event. “The scholarships awarded tonight are a recognition of your potential to make a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals and your communities. You exemplify what it means to be a beacon of hope for so many. The lives you touch, the patients you care for and the communities you serve will forever be impacted by your actions.”
Foundation scholarship recipients sisters Emily Mazurek and Klaudia Schoffstall shared their story of family, resolve and their educational path.
First-generation immigrants and employees of Desert Valley Hospital, the sisters addressed the audience jointly while telling how their family persevered through the death of their mother to COVID-19 and how they turned their loss into motivation to fuel their career path to helping others.
“Working in healthcare is so much more than just a job,” Schoffstall said. “I believe it really takes a special person to be there in some of the toughest moments, and provide a caring touch, exceptional care, as well as being a patient advocate. My mother knew I always wanted to become a nurse, and I think a big part of me returning to school was watching my younger sister overcome so many difficulties while still excelling in school.”
The evening’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Carol Lee, the emergency medicine vice chair and emergency medicine residency program director at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
Lee, a first-generation immigrant herself, reinforced the importance of perseverance while setting goals.
“Your skills, talent, and knowledge are too valuable for you to give up too quickly,” Lee said. “As you embark on your own journey, I would ask you — stay resilient. I believe that you too can achieve the American Dream like me.”
The list of additional speakers and presenters included:
The High Desert is considered a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), meaning there is a shortage of primary, dental, or mental healthcare providers, foundation leaders said.
Many scholarship recipients expressed a desire to remain in the High Desert to serve their community.
To address the significant need for physicians in the Inland Empire, Prime Healthcare Foundation have established one of California’s newest medical schools, the California University of Science and Medicine, in Colton with a more than $70 million contribution.
The first class of 62 new physicians graduated on May 21, 2022, and many of them will serve their residency and/or have pledged to practice in the Inland Empire.
For more information about the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation, contact the Foundation Scholarship Committee at 760-381-8913 or scholarships@reddyfamilyfoundation.org.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
