The University of Connecticut is pleased to announce that eight freshmen from the Class of 2014 have been selected as Rowe Health Professions Scholars. Those honored are: Joshua Andrade, Gian Grant, Mallory Honda, Maciej Kosakowski, Mallory Perry, Thomas Silva, Kristen Springer, and Geyang “Athena” Tao.

The John and Valerie Rowe Health Professions Scholars Program aids undergraduate students who plan to study health professions such as dentistry, pharmacy, allied health, and medicine.  The program is limited to Connecticut residents and awards $6,000 in scholarship money as well as entry to UConn’s Honors Program.

Those considered for a Rowe Scholarship have strong SAT scores and generally rank within the top 10% of their high school classes.  The Rowe Scholars Program focuses on providing financial and academic opportunities to gifted students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds. Rowe Scholarship students enrich their college experience by partaking in health-related community service, professional development projects, and other activities.  In addition, scholars are offered seminars and mentoring to realize their full potential. 

 Here is more about this year’s winners:

• Geyang “Athena” Tao from West Hartford, CT is originally from Nanjing, China. She is a graduate of William H. Hall High School where she studied Spanish and Japanese. Tao is a pre-pharmacy major who also enjoys studio art and languages. She is fluent in both Chinese and English. Tao is a former volunteer for the Amity Foundation, a Chinese non-profit organization that works with children with physical and mental disabilities.
• Originally from St. Ann’s, Jamaica, Gian Grant currently lives in Windsor, CT.  She is a graduate of Windsor High School and worked as a dental receptionist during her senior year. Grant is an alumna of UConn’s Seniors Doctors Academy, a program for high school seniors interested in medical fields that is offered by the University’s Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs, and she has volunteered at the Community Health Center Health Fair in Hartford, CT.
• Kristen Springer of Windsor, CT is a graduate of the Metropolitan Learning Center magnet school in Bloomfield, CT. Springer is majoring in cognitive neuroscience. Her ultimate goal is to become a neurologist. She is of Barbadian heritage and hopes to someday be a doctor.
• Mallory Honda of Ellington, CT is a graduate of Ellington High School. Honda enjoys sports, especially track and field.  An allied health major, she is interested in becoming a registered dietician. Honda participated in UConn’s Pre-College Enrichment Program this past summer, where she worked in Assistant Professor Richard Bruno’s lab in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. Honda worked with Bruno on an experiment about the affects of cigarette smoke on vitamin E levels in human plasma.
• A resident of Middletown, CT, Mallory Perry is a graduate of Mercy High School. Perry is a nursing student and wants to specialize in neonatology or emergency care. She has dedicated much of her time to volunteer work.  Perry has worked with the Red Cross, A Better Choice (ABC) Women’s Center, and the Connecticut Mission of Mercy, a dental clinic where those who cannot afford dental care receive treatment at no cost. Perry’s interests include playing sports. She was her high school’s Athlete of the Year for 2010. She earned this title due to her high GPA and skills in varsity volleyball, basketball, and track and field.
• Joshua Andrade is from Stratford, CT. Andrade plans to major in psychology. He is a graduate of Stratford High School where he took part in the lacrosse and dance teams. Andrade’s health field experience includes working with How Youth Positively Entertain (HYPE), a positive youth development program in Stratford that helps educate teens about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Andrade also assisted with local Red Cross blood drives.
• Maciej Kosakowski is from Stamford, CT. His interests include biology and chemistry. Kosakowski is a graduate of Stamford High School and enjoys mountain boarding when he is not studying. Kosakowski is interested in the field of medicine and has attended a dental conference. By shadowing dentists, Kosakowski has observed dental operations, heightening his interest in dental medicine.
• Thomas Silva of New Fairfield, CT, graduated from New Fairfield High School. He is a biomedical engineering major at UConn, where he is a freshman. He has preformed research at the UConn Institute of Material Sciences with Associate Professor Mei Wei. Silva said he enjoys the technology and procedures involved in medical research in the area of prosthetic coatings. In his free time, Silva enjoys playing the guitar. He stays active playing sports such as Frisbee and soccer.

The Rowe Health Professions Scholars Program is named in recognition of Dr. John “Jack” Rowe, a former Harvard professor, CEO and chairman of Aetna, CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center and School of Medicine in New York City and chair of the UConn Board of Trustees. He is currently a professor at the John Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Valerie Rowe is a former professor at Fordham University. The Rowes are long-time supporters of the University of Connecticut and its academic programs.

For more information:

Colin Poitras (860) 486-4656 or colin.poitras@uconn.edu