Scholarships change ‘the trajectory of the next generation.’
Carmen Rodriguez ’83, P’14 MD’21, P’17 has always kept Brown close to her heart. She has been an active volunteer for more than 30 years, serving as a Corporation trustee, a member of the Brown Alumni Association Board of Governors, and a representative on various leadership councils.
She was delighted that her sons Stefan ’14 MD’21 and Christian ’17 both chose to attend Brown for their undergraduate careers. And when Stefan decided on The Warren Alpert Medical School, she was doubly thrilled to find it provided the same flexibility, support, and sense of community that Brown’s undergraduate college did.
“I didn’t know what to expect at first,” she says. “But it was soon clear that the ethos of Brown permeates into the Medical School. It’s remarkable.”
Stefan’s time at the Medical School has given Carmen and her husband, Carlos, a deep appreciation for Brown’s biomedical research enterprise, medical student service in the community, and the challenges aspiring physicians face throughout their training. As longtime donors to undergraduate financial aid, they jumped at the chance to support medical students through an endowed scholarship.
“The beauty of scholarships is that they don’t just change the trajectory of the recipient, but also the trajectory of the next generation,” Carmen says.
She hopes that the Rodriguez Family Medical Scholarship will provide the resources needed for students from all backgrounds to consider pursuing medicine.
“I firmly believe that education is the great equalizer,” she says. “I hope our scholarship opens up possibilities and aspirations they never thought were possible for them. The only thing I ask is that they pay it forward.”
