Alumni and Students Join Together to Celebrate Scholarship and Legacy“Inevitably, there will come a time when you pause to look back at Northwestern—what you achieved here and what you took away. It will be time to give back. At that time of reflection, think of scholarship.” Spoken by medical school alumnus, William J. (Jack) Frable, MD, these words had a special meaning to attendees at the Feinberg School of Medicine Scholarship Brunch. A gathering of alumni supporters, student scholarship-recipients, faculty, and staff, this annual celebration was an opportunity to reflect on philanthropy and education.  Raymond Curry, MD, Dean for Education, played host to the attendees, many of whom were medical school alumni visiting Chicago for their class reunion weekends. Dr. Curry shared his thoughts on what he felt the brunch represented—the importance of scholarship gifts, “The real advantage to giving scholarships is that they are eternal, lasting gifts that directly affect the lives of specific people.”
The event featured a wide range of student and donor speakers, including Nina Sung, Medical Alumni Scholarship recipient, and Murtaza Akhter, Burton Scholarship recipient, who shared their own advances made possible through scholarship giving. Eleanor Tripp, Frable Scholarship recipient, FSM 2007, spoke of her gratitude for her benefactors, Drs. Jack and Mary Ann Smith Frable. “Now, I am at a new stage of appreciation for the great gift the Frables have given me. Due to my scholarship, I am moving to the next phase of my education and life as a physician without significant financial burden,” she said. Ms. Tripp went on to introduce the Frables to the attendees. Dr. Jack Frable’s comments on the need for scholarship support rang true with many in attendance, and his thoughts were echoed by other scholarship recipient speakers.In particular, Kevin McGill, Miller Scholarship recipient, FSM 2010, addressed the need on a global scale. “ How many Albert Einsteins do you think are in Sudan? The answer is that we don’t know. To apply it to our situation, think about how many students from middle-income families have the intellect, the compassion, and the work ethic it takes to become a physician,” he commented.  “The contributions of people like you help to level the playing field so that the world has a better chance of finding the next Albert Einstein, Ben Carson, or maybe even the next Stephen H. Miller,” he said, referring to the physician for whom his scholarship was named.
For more information about scholarships at the Feinberg School of Medicine, please contact Meredith Howell at m-howell@northwestern.edu or via phone at (312) 503-0769.Photo Credit: Nathan Mandell | 
