Bayless Commitment to Mental Health Scholarship
Donor Spotlight:
The Bayless Family Foundation
As part of a two-year pledge to ElevateMeD, the Bayless Commitment to Mental Health Scholarship is awarded to ElevateMeD Scholars who present a desire to pursue a medical career that will impact mental health in communities of color.
Diverse representation within specialty care is a critical solution to eliminating health disparities. This year, we had the honor of partnering with the Bayless Family Foundation, whose impact in healthcare for over 40 years has impacted generations of Phoenicians. Justin Bayless, CEO of Ten Figures and former CEO of Bayless Integrated Healthcare presented his year’s award virtually to Shanice Walcott at the 2022 Explosion of a Dream event. Upon review of Shanice’s #BehindtheWhiteCoat interview, the family connected and shared they found her story “moving, empowering and we are extremely excited to be a part of her journey.”
Shanice Walcott is a fourth-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine- Fort Lauderdale Campus. She is a member of the 2021 cohort of ElevateMeD Scholars.
Shanice shared her initial response to the presentation while attending the event.
“As Mr. Bayless was giving his speech, someone at my table pointed out that it sounded like he was describing me, but I didn’t even register the possibility because hearing him address the need for psychiatry in black and brown communities was too exciting. I was utterly dumbfounded and had zero words when he announced my name…”
Shanice was presented with a scholarship check of $42,500 towards her medical school tuition. “I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the Bayless Family and ElevateMeD for recognizing my passion and commitment to the field of psychiatry. It is an honor to have so many amazing people invested in my journey and supporting my mission to eliminate the mental health disparities that affect communities of color. This scholarship is another powerful testament to how ElevateMeD and its sponsors truly elevate medicine and support the next generation of physician leaders!”
You can watch the surprise presentation here:
Thank you to the Bayless Family Foundation for supporting the dreams of underrepresented students in medicine!
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ElevateMeD Scholars Program
The ElevateMeD Scholars program provides significant financial assistance to medical students while providing them access to mentorship, leadership training, and financial management education.
