Ochsner Health Medical School Scholarship is Awarded

The fourth annual Ochsner Health Medical School Scholarship for LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine has been awarded to recent Xavier University of Louisiana graduate Aaron Jackson. The scholarship award covers the cost of tuition for Aaron to attend LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine over the four-year enrollment.

“Ochsner Health is driven by our mission to ‘Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate’ with a commitment to a health state for all by training the next generation of physicians,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, chief academic officer, Ochsner Health and associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, LSU Health Shreveport. “Through outstanding academic accomplishments and demonstrated resilience, Aaron has demonstrated the attributes needed to be impactful as a physician. He is committed to improving health outcomes for our communities by focusing on health equity.”

Jackson, a first-generation college graduate, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier. Outside of the classroom, he worked to put himself through college and engaged in work-study programs, internships, and scientific research. He aims to show young people of color that attending medical school is possible, even in the face of adversity, and to open new doors to young aspiring healthcare professionals by providing them with shadowing, volunteering, and research opportunities.

“I knew early on in life that I wanted to care for and treat those affected by mental illnesses, having firsthand witnessed my brother's struggles with his combination of intellectual and impulsive disorders,” he said in his application letter. “I also knew, however, that the road to becoming a physician would not be an easy endeavor, especially for someone like me and with my disadvantaged background.”

To qualify for consideration for this scholarship, a student is required to be a Louisiana resident, an Xavier student, and have already been accepted into the LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine.

“LSU Health Shreveport is grateful to Ochsner for their continued awarding of a full tuition scholarship to a deserving student who faced disadvantage, and we look forward to welcoming Aaron on campus in the fall,” said David Lewis, MD, interim chancellor and dean of the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine. “This scholarship is an important tool in enhancing LSU Health Shreveport’s’ ability to recruit and retain top minority students.”

08/02/2022