The Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship is a multi-year scholarship established to provide material support for students who are interested in pursuing medical school. This scholarship wishes to honor Lt. Col. Robert N. Nottoli USAF (Ret.) and Samuel C. Hon M.D. F.A.C.S, both of whom believed that quality education was the gateway to success in service to others. The couple from California who established the scholarship (although not Tech graduates) have chosen to invest in the University’s growing health sciences area.
Preference is being given to Copper Country students in the hope that recipients who pursue becoming physicians will return to the Copper Country to practice and provide sustainable care to citizens of the region. This year’s recipients are all minoring in Pre-Health, with a pre-med focus. The three 2022- 2023 Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship recipients share what the award means to them and their future medical careers.
Traveling Long Distances for Orthopedic Surgeries Inspires Biomedical Engineering Major Sarah to Help Rural Communities
How did you get interested in medicine?
My interest in medicine grew for a few different reasons! My Grandpa was an ER doctor and growing up my parents talked a lot about him, so my interest in becoming a doctor started when I was very young. Growing up I was also an athlete and suffered many different injuries so I spent a LOT of time at doctor’s appointments. This exposure to the medical field continued to pique my interest and I set my sights on becoming a doctor who works with athletes!
What made you interested in rural medicine specifically?
I grew up as an athlete in Houghton and have experienced firsthand the need to travel to receive orthopedic surgeries. My goal is to eventually help bridge that gap for athletes and everyone else in rural communities!
How has this scholarship helped you achieve your goals?
Thanks to the Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship, I’ve been able to spend more time focusing on my academics and less time on working which has been hugely beneficial, especially during a critical time in my academic career as I’m beginning to look into Medical School applications.
The Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship Will Help Medical Lab Science Major Ella Achieve Her Dream of Working Directly With People and Improving Outcomes
How did you get interested in medicine?
To be honest, I have always had an interest in medicine, I just wasn’t sure how I wanted to direct it. Coming into college, I was thinking I would go into genetic research. The further I got into my degree, the more I realized that I wanted to work directly with people. I started babysitting and learned I loved children. Then I received my Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license and a new job and realized I had found exactly where I wanted to be: with people. I am currently in my third year, and about a year out from applying to medical school. I am working as a CNA and shadowing a midwife, both of which solidified my belief that medicine is the right field for me.
What made you interested in rural medicine specifically?
Growing up, I spent a lot of time in cities. I have lived in the suburbs for most of my life, but I also spent a couple of years living in big cities in another country. I was always amazed by the easy access we had to medicine wherever we were.
Living in another country, I also had the opportunity to see how the people lived outside of the city. I have one distinct memory of visiting an orphanage in rural China when I was about seven years old and meeting children my age. These children had been given up to an orphanage because they were sick and the parents had no access to, or money for, healthcare. The older I’ve gotten, the more I have realized that this is a fixable problem. I want to work in an area where I can make a difference, and where I can fill the gaps in healthcare.
How has this scholarship helped you achieve your goals?
Because of this grant, I have been able to work a little less and spend a little more time out in the community. I have had the opportunity to shadow the local CNM (certified nurse midwife), and have observed what medicine looks like in a rural area. There are certainly challenges with access to quality care locally, and these are challenges that I would like to help solve.
The experiences that I have been able to gain have further strengthened my resolve to get into rural medicine. Because of this grant, I have gained experiences that I wouldn’t have had the time for. Because of these experiences, I am more determined than ever to help communities such as this one. I want to be able to help the next mother who experiences complications, and ensure she can have the care she deserves without having to travel.
Mechanical Engineering Major Kayley Wants To Find New Solutions To Help Rural Communities
How did you get interested in medicine?
Medicine has impacted me as I directly want to help people in need. Using my background in mechanical engineering I will be able to come up with new solutions and will bring a different viewpoint to medicine. I will be graduating with my undergrad degree in the spring of 2024 and then attending medical school in the fall of 2024.
What made you interested in rural medicine specifically?
Growing up in Marquette MI, I understand the effects of healthcare on a rural area. I want to be a part of the solution and help those who are in underserved communities.
How has this scholarship helped you achieve your goals?
This scholarship is truly an honor and has allowed me to continue my education and effort to become a physician in a rural area.
Want to Lean More?
You can learn about Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship recipients from 2021: Karmyn, who shares her first-semester experience at med school and offers advice for others; and Lindsay who highlights how her research, study abroad, and community service experiences helped shape her career path.
Supporting students through scholarships and fellowships, like the Hon and Nottoli Family Scholarship, is Michigan Tech’s top strategic priority. Learn more about how the Michigan Tech Fund helps students.