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John Cramer and Suzanne Poppema REACH Scholarship Fund
at Harvard Medical School
Benefactor Report
March 2026
Table of Contents
01.
Letter from the Dean for Medical Education
02.
Student Profiles
Letter from the Dean for Medical Education
Bernard S. Chang AB ’93, MD, MMSc ’05
Bernard S. Chang,
AB ’93, MD, MMSc ’05
This year, 23 first‑year medical students received REACH scholarships, bringing the total number of current recipients to 85. Together, these 85 students will receive almost $2.2 million in REACH support during the 2025–2026 academic year. This funding reduces their student loan debt by the same amount, allowing them to move forward in their training without overwhelming financial pressure. Because of you, these students can pursue careers that reflect their passions, values, and commitment to service.
Your generosity shapes not only the lives of these future physicians but also the well-being of the patients and communities they will care for throughout their careers. By bolstering financial aid for exceptional students with demonstrated need, you help cultivate compassionate, thoughtful leaders who will serve our increasingly diverse society with sensitivity and insight.
On behalf of the entire Harvard Medical School community, thank you for believing in our students and investing in their promise.
Sincerely,
Bernard S. Chang AB '93, MD, MMSc '05 | Dean for Medical Education | Daniel D. Federman, MD Professor of Neurology and Medical Education
25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115 | t: (617) 432-6250 | e: Bernard_Chang@hms.harvard.edu
March 2, 2026
Dear John and Suzanne,
Thank you for your generous support of Harvard Medical School’s REACH Scholarship Program through the John Cramer and Suzanne Poppema REACH Scholarship Fund. Your commitment enables admitted students with significant financial need to pursue an HMS education without incurring additional debt, allowing them to focus fully on their studies and follow their passions. Our REACH scholars—who embody the values of Resilience, Excellence, Achievement, Compassion, and Helping the underserved—strengthen our community with their diverse experiences and dedication to advancing health care. Enclosed, you will find updates on Mauricio Garcia and Kaleigh Beacham, students whose journey and aspirations in medicine are possible because of you.
After graduating from Yale, Christopher joined Massachusetts General Hospital’s Medical Practice Evaluation Center as a research assistant, conducting cost-effectiveness analyses on public health interventions. He co-founded the Mass General Brigham Post-Baccalaureate Association and engaged in community work with VoteHealth 2020, Sociedad Latina, and the Medical Reserve Corps, emphasizing his commitment to both research and community service.
Study Interest
Research and
Community Service
Achievements and
Aspirations
Christopher has been active in the Latino Medical Student Association, the Anatomy Club, the Crimson Care Collaborative, and the Hope Medical Scholars program. He published his debut first-author research paper in JAMA Health Forum with his mentor, Dr. Rishi Wadhera, MPP ’18. He aims to pursue a career in cardiology or anesthesiology, with future goals of leading quality improvement efforts and informing health policy.
Christopher is interested in cardiology, cardiac surgery, anesthesiology, and health policy.
Annie Abruzzo is a fourth-year Harvard Medical School student interested in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. Born in rural China, she was adopted by a single mother and raised in New York City. Early health and developmental challenges required intensive therapy, which her mother made possible by reducing her work hours. Those experiences, and a lifelong awareness of the consequences of inadequate health care, now shape Annie’s commitment to caring for patients with complex head and neck disease.
Annie graduated from Swarthmore College, where she double-majored in biology and history, earning Phi Beta Kappa honors. A nationally competitive debater and president of her debate team, she developed strong skills in communication and advocacy, and her senior thesis on Chinese American adoption communities earned awards in both history and Asian studies. Before medical school, she worked in Dr. Jeffrey Weiser’s microbiology lab at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, leading an independent project on pneumococcal pathogenesis that resulted in two first-author publications and sparked a lasting interest in translational research.
At HMS, Annie has earned outstanding clinical evaluations across rotations, contributed first-author work on radiation-induced heart disease and complex congenital heart surgery, and is now completing an honors project in Dr. Daniel Faden’s lab at Mass Eye and Ear on liquid biopsy approaches for head and neck cancer. She also volunteers at the Cambridge Health Alliance student-faculty clinic and leads the Ear, Nose, and Throat interest group, where she has expanded near-peer mentoring and hands-on skills workshops.
Annie is deeply grateful to HMS donors and the Financial Aid Office for helping her pursue a career in academic otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, and she is committed to paying this support forward through patient care, research, and teaching.
Mauricio Garcia
AB, Harvard University (2020)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2026)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (HST track)
Mauricio Garcia
Financial support for HMS students is vital to ensuring that the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists is diverse and representative of the incredible diversity of people in the U.S. This support allows for new methods of thinking and curiosity to inform research that will shape the next generation of advancements in health care.
- Mauricio Garcia MD '26
Pathway to Medicine and Research
Kaleigh Beacham is a third-year student in the Pathways track at Harvard Medical School. She was raised in Dallas in a single-parent household and is a first-generation college student. She graduated from Stanford University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering and went on to earn a master’s degree in laboratory animal science from Stanford in 2023. While at Stanford, she investigated repetitive strain injuries in stereotypic mice for her master’s thesis, published her first scholarly work, and conducted independent bioengineering research while serving as a teaching assistant and tutor.
Kaleigh’s time at Stanford was also defined by leadership and service. She served on the Black Student Union High School Conference committee and as vice president and president of Stanford Christian Students. Her long-standing involvement with Girl Scouts of the USA—from participating in Girl Scouts as a young person to coordinating summer programs, representing the organization internationally, and developing a curriculum on healthy relationships and emotional intelligence for youths in Dallas—reflects her deep commitment to mentorship and empowering young people from all backgrounds.