Two LaPorte County high school seniors with aspirations of future healthcare careers each recently received Franciscan Health Michigan City Medical Staff Memorial Scholarships to assist with their post-secondary educations.

Jennifer Serrano and Alyssa Tracy, 18-year-old Michigan City High School seniors, are the recipients of this year’s scholarships.

Tracy will attend Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. this fall and plans to pursue a career as a pediatrician.

“Growing up watching my mom, who was a nurse, and having health issues myself, I just knew how important it was and I really wanted to help kids,” Tracy said. “This will help me do that. It means a lot to me and I’m really grateful for it.”

Serrano will attend Valparaiso University in the fall, majoring in health sciences with the goal of becoming a physician’s assistant. She said the scholarship award came at just the right time.

“A storm destroyed my car, a tree fell on it, so this will give me the ability to pursue my education without worrying so much about the added cost,” Serrano said.

The medical staff at Franciscan Health Michigan City voted unanimously in 2021 to establish and fund a scholarship honoring the memories and continuing legacies of physicians who served the community as members of the medical staff.

The annual scholarships are funded by physicians on the Franciscan Health Michigan City medical staff in partnership with the Franciscan Health Foundation and may be split among recipients as the committee deems appropriate.

“The Memorial Fund is really about the physicians who gave so much to this community and have passed on,” said David Fumo, MD, who serves as vice chairman of the scholarship committee. “The best way to memorialize them is to help inspire these kids.”

Dr. Fumo said the medical staff at Franciscan Health Michigan City has faith in the scholarship winners for bright futures ahead.

“Just as people believed in us, we believe in you,” Dr. Fumo said. “We really, truly believe in you.”

Dr. Fumo said the scholarship committee chose Serrano and Tracy from a large pool of worthy applicants.

“The hardest part is picking because there are so many great candidates, but these two are truly deserving,” he said.

The scholarships are needs-based and emphasize students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Donations to the scholarship fund may be made online by selecting “Northern Indiana” and “Michigan City Medical Staff Memorial Scholarship Fund” from the drop-down menus.

Those who donate $500 or more may name a late medical staff physician to be honored with a name plate on the memorial plaque in the hospital’s main hallway.