Local student among Moses/Weitzman scholars

Record-Journal report

Cheshire resident Medha Illindala is part of a group of twenty college students across Connecticut, Colorado and California to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Moses/Weitzman Health System.

Vice President of Communications at Community Health Center, Inc. Leslie Gianelli said that they have offered the scholarship to employees’ families since 2019 as part of an effort to support their employees and families seeking higher edu- cation.

Scholarship recipients are randomly selected through an electronically-generated raffle system. However, Gianelli said participants are required to submit a brief essay and school transcripts as proof of enrollment.

She explained that the essay doesn’t influence who receives a scholarship; instead, it provides an opportunity to learn more about the applicants, their passions and thoughts on issues impacting the modern day, such as healthcare access.

Cheshire resident Medha Illindala, 20, is entering her junior year at UConn and keeps busy studying physiology and neurobiology. She’s also developing her own coursework for a “individualized” third major that combines her passion for healthcare and addressing criminal justice issues.

Illindala’s mom works as a dentist for the Meriden Community Health Center Inc., and recommended she apply for the scholarship to help cover college costs, such as transportation and textbooks.

“In the grand scheme of paying for college tuition, $1,000 might not seem like a lot, but at the individual level, that $1,000 is going to help me,” Illindala said. “Tuition is a big, grand number, right? But then you have food, transportation, the books, technology that you need, all sorts of small things that also go in part of the expenses of a college student.”

Her scholarship essay focused on an imagined conversation between herself and Helen of Troy written in the style of “The Iliad” by Homer. Since Helen is often the scapegoat of the Trojan War, Illindala said her essay’s goal was to try to understand Helen’s actual role in the war and what she thought as Greek men went to war in her name.

Between her three majors, Illindala is studying for medical school exams, but she has a conditional acceptance to the eight-year UConn Special Program in

Medicine. She said she’s also exploring what field to pursue, specifically focusing on pediatrics, emergency medicine or neurology.

“I’m just exploring all the options right now and not crossing anything off the list just yet,” Illindala said.