Nineteen Senior Doctor Academy graduates in the Class of 2025 on May 14 received their honorary white coats and diplomas from the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) at UConn Health.
At this year’s Academic Year Closing and Annual Recognition Ceremony the keynote speaker was City of Hartford’s Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH, director of Health & Human Services.
Also, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving generously presented a grant of $15,000 in support of the HCOP programs.
The Doctors Academy is part of the highly successful Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) founded over two decades ago by physician-scientist Dr. Marja Hurley, where middle school and high school students of all backgrounds receive in-depth education in the health sciences and career path mentorship on Saturdays and in the summer. The Doctors Academy is one of 14 Health Career Opportunity Programs that are part of the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative (HPPI).
Meet the Doctors Academy Graduates
“I am looking forward to pursuing a career in genetics and surgery,” says Class of 2025 Doctors Academy graduate Javel Stewart, 18, of Hartford who has been part of HCOP since the 8th grade.
“The idea of being able to help people fight illness and disease inspired me to enter medicine. I became interested in HCOP’s great explorations program after a school guidance counselor recommended it to me as she knew I was interested in medicine,” recalls Stewart.
“My favorite part of HCOP was being able to meet and connect with like-minded peers.”
After graduating from Classical Magnet School this spring, Stewart looks forward to attending UConn.
“I am very excited to go to UConn this fall, and I’m looking forward to all the new knowledge I will gain,” Stewart exclaims.
Stewart is the winner of a large Hartford Promise Scholarship, also the newly established UConn Freedman Award established by UConn Health Board of Director Joel Freedman, and the Friends of the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs – Boake L. Plessy, Ph.D., Scholarship.
“I am very excited to have received scholarships to UConn in addition to the Hartford Promise Scholarship,” she happily shares.
And Stewart’s words of wisdom for other young people wishing to follow in her footsteps to also pursue future careers in medicine: “Some advice to the CT youth is to never give up. You might not see the results right away, but trust the process. Keep asking questions, keep showing up for yourself, and don’t be afraid to aim high.”
“One of the most meaningful communities I’m a part of is the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP),” heartwarmingly shared Class of 2025 Doctors Academy graduate Jeneika Lugg, 18, of Hartford who is originally from Jamaica.
Now a senior at Achievement First Hartford Academy, she joined the Doctors Academy back in the 9th grade. “This community is especially meaningful to me because it feels like a family. It is a welcoming environment where no one feels excluded, and everyone is respected for who they are.”
Lugg will be attending UConn Hartford in the fall. She is enrolled in the special Verto Huskies Pathway, a program that provides high achieving students the opportunity to study abroad with Verto Education, and then seamlessly transfer to UConn for the remainder of their college experience.
“This fall I’m very excited to go to UConn and I’m happy to be given the opportunity to go study abroad for my first semester in Spain through Verto Education. This is very exciting for me since I’m being introduced to a new culture, language, food, and people,” says Lugg.
At UConn, Lugg hopes to study biological sciences or areas of neuroscience, and also explore her longtime interest in art.
Lugg is also an excited recipient of the large Hartford Promise Scholarship, as well as a Jacob L. and Lewis Fox Scholarship.
“I was awarded the Hartford Promise Scholarship and Fox Scholarship. I was excited for this because it allowed a better affordability for school,” says very thankful Lugg.
Lugg also applauds the HCOP program for her great educational experience.
“When I first heard about HCOP, I was eager to join, especially with my interest in the medical field. The program has not only expanded my academic knowledge but also provided a deeper understanding of medicine in the real world. It has equipped me with valuable skills in public speaking, research, and medical practices, while offering opportunities to learn from doctors and their personal journeys,” says Lugg.
She added, “What I love most about this program is how it consistently encourages us to pursue our dreams. The staff fosters an open-minded approach, urging us to reach for the stars and beyond. They are like a supportive family, cheering for our growth and success, always wanting the best for us. The students, too, contribute to this sense of community, as we all share similar goals and support one another, making it feel more like a team than a competition.”
Lugg’s advice to other Connecticut youth like her: “Keep striving, keep pushing and know that no dream is too big to not reach. It might seem a lot or impossible but in the end you will be amazed by the great results and accomplishments.”
Like Stewart and Lugg all the successful Senior Doctors Academy graduates in the Class of 2025 are following in the footsteps of hundreds and hundreds of successful HCOP graduates.
Dr. Marja Hurley and her very dedicated HCOP team are very proud of all the graduating students and share a special thank you to the parents who get the students up on Saturdays to get to the program.
“I am so proud of this year’s graduating class, and thankful for all the support of their parents. We also are especially grateful of the Hartford Foundation, the City of Hartford, and for all the generous scholarships bestowed on our amazing students this year,” says Hurley. “Congratulations to all our talented students.”
UConn School of Medicine Dean Dr. Bruce T. Liang shared during the event, “A special thanks to the amazing leadership of Dr. Marja Hurley, along with her talented HCOP team, for making the Doctors Academy and all the successful HCOP Programs of the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative possible. Your hard work is keeping these programs thriving to new heights and always inspiring the next generation of youth and future doctors.”
Liang added, “I wanted to share a heartwarming congratulations with all our graduates, and with your supportive families. We are all so proud of your inspiring academic success, and tireless commitment and determination that you have demonstrated. Whether you are dreaming of becoming a future physician, dentist, or scientist — you are well on your way! And UConn is so grateful to be part of your journey! Make sure to come back and join our health care workforce.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2025 graduates of the Great Explorations, Jumpstart, and Junior and Senior Doctors Academy!
Other scholarship recipients this year of the John & Valerie Rowe Scholarship are Senior Doctors Academy graduates Valeria Buzzigoli and Anousha Hashim.
Also, Friends of the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs – Boake L. Plessy, Ph.D., Scholarship recipients include Maham Chaudhary, Alec-Raive Gordon, and Javel Stewart.
The Class of 2025 Senior Doctors Academy graduates include:
Sunita Amiri
Safia Ali
Gabrielle Bridgewater
Valeria Buzzigoli
Maham Chaudhary
Sabra Dewar
Alec Gordon
Anousha Hashim
Meera Kannan
Jeneika Lugg
Elissa Matthews
Tyler McGraw
Marko Paxi
Xavier Rosario
Genesis Rowe
Genessis Sanclemente
Javel Stewart
Sama Thapa
Kaelyn Williams
