Rural Health Student Scholarships Recipients

You can make a student’s dream reality.

Our goal is to enable more students from the Eastern Shore to pursue degrees in health care. In a rural region where many live below the poverty line, the cost of professional education can be a significant barrier. And the cost of education is rising.

UMB has created current use and endowed scholarship funds, ensuring that students from the Eastern Shore — now and for generations to come — will be able to attend UMB without worrying about the financial burden.

Average UMB Debt at Graduation

 

School/ Program Amount of Debt
Nursing (Master's/ PhD) $128,565
Pharmacy (Pharm) $165,745
Social Work (MSW) $58,655
Medicine (MD) $184,683
Physical Therapy $110,385
Nursing (Bachelor's) $21,200

 

Hear what UMB student scholarship recipients say about what their scholarship — and UMB experience — has meant to them:

Taylar DeRosa

“Receiving a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland School of Nursing has not only helped alleviate some financial burden but has also affirmed my dedication to making a meaningful impact in the field of anesthesia, particularly in historically underserved communities. The scholarship will contribute to my dream of practicing anesthesia in a local Maryland community hospital. I have always lived in Maryland, and plan to continue working here after graduation as I love this state and feel that I can make an impact. Expanding access to care and helping to create a positive relationship with health care in the community have always been close to my heart.”

Taylar DeRosa, CNRA ’25
University of Maryland School of Nursing
Hometown: North East, Md.

Madison Park

“I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where, like many other rural areas in the country, communities face many challenges in terms of access to medicine. At the School of Medicine, I have worked to promote the importance of rural medicine to my peers and gained clinical experience through rotations in rural practices (one of which was my grandparents’ doctor!). These experiences have solidified my desire to ultimately return to my rural roots and practice rural medicine, helping to address barriers and bring access to health care in these areas.”

Madison Parks ’23
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Hometown: Denton, Md.

Kelly McKayla

“My experience as a Physician Assistant student at University of Maryland Regional Health was amazing. The providers are very knowledgeable and passionate about their careers as well as the unique patient population they serve. The atmosphere within the hospital and outpatient centers is one of kindness, compassion, and commitment to providing effective medical care to all. Perhaps most importantly, the community resource teams and the patients have embraced the opportunity to teach future medical providers, which was instrumental in helping me to obtain a well-rounded medical education.”

McKayla Kelly, MS ’23
University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies
Physician Assistant Program
Family Medicine Physician Assistant, Choptank Community Health System

You Can Make a Difference to Advance Workforce Development on the Eastern Shore

Scholarships are critical in enabling more students from the Eastern Shore to pursue degrees in health care. Your philanthropic support can create a legacy and foster the promising futures of deserving and exceptional Eastern Shore students in perpetuity.

Learn how you can make a gift.