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Commencement 2021
Highlighting Exemplary Graduates
As Hippocrates opined, “Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.” This keen observation is emblematic of LECOM graduates who truly are connected to one another and to others in the broader community. Their choice of medicine was not by accident, for medicine is nothing without a love of humanity.
Each year at Commencement, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) highlights and recognizes the academic and notable achievements of its graduating class. Several scholars who have proved exemplary are chosen for acknowledgement and they have been recipients of various estimable awards. As these graduates go forth in the profession as doctors, a love of humanity will be a central part of who they are, and who they will become.
As iron sharpens iron, scholars sharpen each other; they lead, encourage, and inspire each other in a quest for knowledge and virtue. They strive together, forging bonds that are the foundation of enduring friendships, deepening their intellectual prowess, and becoming prepared to embark upon the calling of a lifetime. LECOM is pleased to share with you, the reader, a few brief stories of these accomplished graduates.
Yusra Mansour
College of Medicine Erie Excellence in Research Award
Yusra Mansour, an exemplary scholar and 2021 graduating medical student at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) was selected for the College of Medicine Excellence in Research Award. Recently, she matched into Otolaryngology - Facial Plastic Surgery - at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Michigan.
The Toledo, Ohio native is the youngest of four children, having attended the University of Toledo where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry.
Her older brother, Mansour Mansour, completed the LECOM 2014 Post Baccalaureate Program and subsequently, he matriculated into the College of Medicine and graduated in the LECOM Class of 2019. Currently, he is an Emergency Medicine resident in Michigan.
The skilled graduate “fell in love with research and its role in medicine,” while working intensely in the LECOM Auditory Research Center in 2018, with Dr. Randy Kulesza. For more than three years, Mansour worked in the laboratory investigating changes in the auditory and vestibular brainstems in human and animal models of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Under the auspices and guidance of her mentor, Dr. Kulesza, Mansour produced 15 manuscripts, 11 of which she was first author; and 24 research presentations. This love of research additionally prompted Mansour to pursue a PhD in Anatomy Education. She focused upon the comparison of virtual and in-person interactive learning sessions using drawing and 3-Dimensional models.
Mansour intends to continue her basic science and educational research throughout her career as a physician and an educator.
Helen Brown
Charles F. and Ruth J. Blatt Military Honor Award
Helen Brown is a graduating scholar from the Erie Campus, and she is the recipient of the Charles F. and Ruth J. Blatt Military Honor Award. As a Second Lieutenant MSC, in the United States Air Force Reserve (USAFR), Helen found her life transforming in a short spanse of time.
Brown was accepted into the Health Professions Scholarship Program through the Air Force just before starting school in 2017. That key event has allowed her to pursue her medical education while serving the nation through her commitment and dedication to the armed forces.
Brown also spent time throughout medical school volunteering with local fire departments as an EMT, and serving her community while gaining further medical experience.
These experiences afforded her irreplaceable friendships; moreover, they brought her together with the man who would become her husband. The couple was married on October 3, 2020, during the Pandemic.
The assiduously dedicated scholar recently matched into her top choice residency program in General Surgery at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“I am beyond thankful for every opportunity that my time at LECOM has offered me, and I am honored to be recognized for my military service. I am incredibly excited to continue the next steps of my journey while taking with me all of the amazing memories that I have enjoyed at LECOM.”
Keriann Clements
LECOM School of Pharmacy Ambassadors Award
Since her junior year of high school, Keriann Clements has had a dream of becoming a pharmacist. The passion for pharmacy, an enduring one for the native of Oil City, Pennsylvania, prompted her to enroll in the LECOM Early Acceptance Program (EAP). In only three years, Clements earned her bachelor’s degree from Mount Aloysius College before enrolling, full time, in the LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie.
At LECOM, Clements earned acceptance into the Rho Chi Society Academic Honor Society, a noted imprimatur of the pharmacy profession. She also joined Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International and the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
In addition to her academic and professional endeavors, Clements became a wife and mother during her time at LECOM; she gave birth to a son in April of 2021.
Complementing her Pharmacy Degree, she also earned her Master of Science in Medical Education Degree while enrolled in the LECOM Pharmacy Program. “These last three years have been the most challenging and life-altering years that I have ever experienced,” Clements explained, acknowledging her multiple extracurricular activities, internships, and growing family.
The proficient graduate now has realized her longtime dream of becoming a pharmacist.
“I am so proud of all I have accomplished; and it would not have been possible without the support of many members of the LECOM faculty and many classmates who I am honored to call friends,” affirmed Clements.
Nouhad Alame
LECOM School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award
A career path as a business intelligence data analyst for General Motors seemed all but settled for Nouhad Alame. However, after only a scant two months working on the global automotive stage, the Detroit native knew that she had made a mistake.
Recognizing that her true interests lay squarely in the healthcare field, Alame enrolled in the LECOM Health Sciences Post-baccalaureate Program; and before long, she was accepted into the LECOM School of Pharmacy.
As a previous retail pharmacy technician and an intern employed by large chain pharmacies, Alame looked forward to her interactions with the community. After three years of pharmacy education and mentorship along the way, Alame decided to advance her clinical experience beyond the level of Doctor of Pharmacy.
Indeed, Alame’s time at LECOM brought her career aspirations clearly into focus. “I grew to know my areas of interest and I was set upon a career as a clinical pharmacist in internal medicine or in critical care,” the graduate noted.
Armed with her PharmD credentials, Alame will return to Michigan for a residency program at McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac.
She carries with her the LECOM School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award, an honor bestowed upon those members of the graduating class who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to the mission of the school through service as an officer in a student club or organization.
“I could not have made it this far without benefitting from the rigors of the fast-paced curriculum at LECOM or without the support of my professors and faculty in the School of Pharmacy,” Alame stated.
Darrin Weinzierl
LECOM School of Pharmacy Dean’s Award
Darrin Weinzeirl is the recipient of the LECOM School of Pharmacy Dean’s Award, an honor presented to the member of the graduating class who, in the judgment of the Dean, has exemplified the unique combination of character, moral, academic, and ethical behavior expected of a pharmacy professional.
“In high school, everyone expects one to have his or her life planned out.” the Nicktown, Pennsylvania, native explained. “My uncle was a pharmacist, and while I had a very light grasp of all that he actually did in the field of pharmacy, I knew that he enjoyed his job and I thought that it might be something that I would enjoy too,” admitted the successful graduate.
Weinzeirl was accepted into the LECOM Early Acceptance Program through Saint Francis University. It was his undergraduate courses that sparked and illuminated his passion for the calling.
“During a biology class, I began learning about multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms. That event piqued my interest; and I decided that I would like to enter a profession where I would deal directly with these elements,” he explained. “I realized that the pharmacy profession is a direct route to securing hands-on experience dealing with MDR pathogens and all manner of infectious diseases,” Weinzeirl expounded.
After three years at Saint Francis University, Weinzeirl began his studies in the LECOM School of Pharmacy Program in Erie where he further developed and honed his scholarship.
Following commencement, Weinzeirl will undertake his residency with St. Vincent Hospital in Erie. The Dean’s Award recipient “hopes to continue to grow as a pharmacist and to prove to the world the undeniable asset that is the profession of pharmacy.”
Michael Dougherty
Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Outstanding Student Award
A non-traditional student with a career and family, Michael Dougherty was prepared to meet challenges along his medical school journey.
“At the end of the day, I knew that I would have no regrets pursuing something that I truly enjoy, no matter the ups and downs along the way,” Dougherty commented.
The LECOM at Seton Hill Problem Based Learning Pathway afforded Dougherty the ability to have time for self-study and to dictate his own schedule, something that he found extremely important. The Program also facilitated his need to remain close to his family in Philadelphia.
Dougherty credits LECOM pre-clinical education with preparing him for board exams. The recent graduate also welcomed the opportunity to volunteer with a local underserved medical clinic; and he worked with LECOM faculty to publish a case report and present posters, all of which proved beneficial in his application for residency programs.
Dougherty is the LECOM at Seton Hill 2021 recipient of the meritorious Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Outstanding Student Award. The Award is presented to a member of the graduating class who has represented the high ideals of the osteopathic profession with a demonstrated desire to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the practice of medicine.
Dougherty succeeded in his objective of securing an anesthesiology residency with Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, placing him near family and in his coveted residency. “LECOM truly provided me with the tools to succeed,” said Dougherty.
Amanda White
LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Excellence Award
Amanda White envisioned a pharmacy career from an early age. The LECOM Two-Plus-Three Early Acceptance Program allowed White to embark upon the journey of a lifetime while she was still in high school.
After completing two years at Mercyhurst University, White began her pharmacy studies at the LECOM Erie campus.
“These past five years have flown by, but I have learned so much about the pharmacy profession and about myself along the way,” reflected White.
The LECOM graduate proved herself to be an exceptional scholar, excelling in her studies and upon graduation, garnering the LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Excellence Award. The laudable honor is bestowed upon the member of the graduating class who holds the highest academic standing after three years of study.
“I shall always be grateful to LECOM for its rigorous curriculum, supportive professors, leadership opportunities, and for the lifelong friends who I have made through this program,” beamed White.
White ventures forward into an acute-care residency with St. Vincent Hospital in Erie with her future vision to become a clinical pharmacist.
“I am excited to use all that I have learned at LECOM to make a positive impact upon the care of my future patients,” stated White.
Chantal Zony
LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Exceptional Community Service
Chantal Zony had been a nurse for five years when she decided to pursue a career in the field of pharmacy.
As a wife and the mother of young twins, Zony found the plan to attend pharmacy school on the other side of the state somewhat daunting. The Coatesville, Pennsylvania native called upon her fortitude to follow her dream.
“At first, I did not want to leave my children and move six hours away to school, but my supportive husband assured me that he would take care of them and that everything would be fine,” Zony explained. “I’m forever grateful to him.”
Zony’s persistence and perseverance buoyed her through the rigors of pharmacy school. She relied upon her classmates for group study sessions and she spent long nights in study to ensure that she knew the course material.
Zony’s determination was fruitful and the pharmacy scholar was soon inducted into the Rho Chi Academic Honor Society. The resilient healthcare professional also continued working as a nurse while completing her pharmacy internship.
Augmenting a plethora of academic responsibilities, Zony also made time to participate in community service activities.
“Those ventures provided great pleasure and they afforded an outlet to my classmates and me to serve outside of class and to interact with members of the community,” related the LECOM graduate.
