2021-22 Philanthropy Impact Report

New WMed Promise Scholarship Program will benefit Kalamazoo Public Schools students enrolled at the medical school

On Thursday, November 10, 2022, at the medical school’s annual donor appreciation luncheon held in the ballroom of the Radisson Plaza Hotel in front of donors, medical students, community leaders, medical school faculty and staff, Dean Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, announced that the medical school will begin raising funds for a new WMed Promise Scholarship. This scholarship will be available to medical students enrolled at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) who are graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) and recipients of The Kalamazoo Promise. The WMed Promise Scholarship is a medical school initiative that is separate and distinct from The Promise and KPS. The fundraising for the WMed Promise Scholarship will be led by the medical school’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.

“Kalamazoo has long been recognized as a national leader in supporting higher education with the launch of The

Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program more than 16 years ago. Now with the WMed Promise Scholarship we can make a medical education at WMed accessible and more affordable for graduates of KPS,” Dr. Termuhlen said. “Our hope is that these KPS graduates will practice medicine in Kalamazoo after graduation and residency training.”

Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri, superintendent of KPS, and Von Washington, Jr., executive director of Community Relations at The Kalamazoo Promise, said they are excited about this new scholarship program that will offer a financial incentive for students of KPS to apply to the MD degree program at WMed.

“KPS is delighted that graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools will have access to financial resources to support their medical education in our community,” Dr. Raichoudhuri said.

“The medical school’s new initiative will encourage KPS graduates to study medicine in Kalamazoo with the hope that

Pictured (from left to right) at the medical school’s White Coat ceremony reception in September: Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri, superintendent of KPS; Lacey Burke, medical student; Dean Paula Termuhlen; Marah Ranger, medical student; Dr. Janice Brown, chairperson of the Board of Trustees for The Kalamazoo Promise. Both medical students are KPS graduates and Kalamazoo Promise recipients.

2 | WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine