Mercy Hospital of Folsom Auxiliary awards 12 scholarships

Twelve future medical students were granted scholarship awards by Mercy Hospital of Folsom Auxiliary recently. For the past 49 years, the Auxiliary has made it a tradition to give scholarships to deserving students seeking careers in the medical field. This year, 11 students who volunteer at Mercy Hospital of Folsom were given scholarships, and an additional scholarship was awarded to an employee who is furthering her education to become a nurse. The awards ceremony was held May 30 at the hospital. Six of the 12 scholarship winners attended the function. Each will receive $1,000. Eligibility for the scholarships was open to all student volunteers at Mercy Hospital of Folsom and employees. Recipients were selected for the awards based on an application and selection process that included a review of grades, personal essays, letters of reference and a personal interview before a selection panel. The scholarship winners come from Citrus Heights, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Orangevale and Rancho Cordova. The volunteers work at least a three-hour shift, once a week, rounding on patients, helping restock supplies and this year included two doulas. Student volunteers earn their clinical hours that will help them advance in their education. All money awarded for scholarships is raised by the Mercy Auxiliary Gift Shop; no hospital funds are used. The Gift Shop is entirely managed and operated by Auxiliary volunteers, and all proceeds from the sales go directly to the scholarship fund. The Auxiliary's first scholarship was awarded in 1978 in the amount of $100, and since then, the Auxiliary has awarded more than $260,000 to deserving students. This year, the Mercy Hospital of Folsom Auxiliary is proud to name the students listed below as winners of the 2025 scholarships: Akshay Bharadwwaj, Isabella De La Riva, Melissa Franco, Amy Hansen, Kaylee Jensen, Akshara Kambhampati, Hannah Malack, Natalie Moitoso, Juhee Noh, Aesara Rhys, Katelyn Rizzuto, Daisy Zavala.