Cinthya Felix Scholarship
The Cinthya Felix Scholarship was developed in 2011 to assist undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. Cinthya Felix grew up in East Los Angeles, graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2007 with a degree in English and Spanish literature, and was the first undocumented student to attend Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She was instrumental in founding the UCLA group IDEAS (Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success), an on-campus group dedicated to supporting and advocating for AB 540 students. She wanted to become a physician and serve her community. Cinthya was 26 years old when she died in May 2010 in a car accident. At that time, Cinthya was working multiple jobs as a waitress, research assistant, and babysitter to pay for her rent, food, and tuition and to send money to her family.
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This year, LMSA-West will award three (3) scholarship recipients with $500 each
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*Current academic year: 2024-2025
Questions? Email VP_Scholarship@lmsa.net
Deadline: December 6th, 2024 11:59 PM PST
Applications are currently open.
Eligibility
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Must be committed to pursuing a career in medicine and dedicated to serving Latino and underserved communities.
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Applicants should demonstrate a desire to advance the state of healthcare and education in Latino and underserved communities through leadership in extracurricular activities and/or membership in civic organizations.
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Must be sophomore level or higher at 4-year university or post-baccalaureate student during the 2021-2022 academic year.
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Students are eligible to receive the scholarship regardless of immigration or citizenship status, as long as the university they attend will allow them to enroll and register for classes.
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Strong consideration will be placed upon financial need.
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Must be a dues-paying pre-med member of LMSA-West. (Can contact LMSA Executive Board for financial assistance if needed).
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Must be a resident or attending school within the LMSA-West region states (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho).
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LMSA-West reserves the right to withdraw or withhold the scholarship pending the submission of necessary documents.
How to Apply:
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All application materials should be submitted via email and attached in a single Adobe Acrobat PDF format titled "LMSA Cinthya Felix Scholarship – Applicant Last Name, First Initial - Application Year" to VP_Scholarship@lmsa.net.
As a first generation Hispanic, doctors visits were a luxury. There was no available insurance for my parents, which strayed them away from medical care. When they did have the opportunity to seek medical attention, no one was able to help them. My inspiration and dedication came from not only my parents but those who are unable to reach medical professionals. I will continue my education to eliminate such barriers and make it more accessible for the underserved communities."
Past Scholarship recipient.