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Mark and Lisa Schwartz

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 

March 5, 2026
Dear Lisa and Mark,
Thank you for your generous support of Harvard Medical School’s REACH Scholarship Program. 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 some of the REACH scholars whose journeys and aspirations in medicine are possible thanks to you. 
Bernard S. Chang AB ’93, MD, MMSc ’05

Bernard S. Chang,

AB ’93, MD, MMSc ’05

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
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 allows them to move forward in their training without overwhelming financial pressure. Thanks to 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,
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.  

Christy Zheng 

BA, Yale University (2022)
MA, Yale University (2022)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2027)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (Pathways track) 
Christy Zheng
Reduced financial pressure has allowed Kevin to immerse himself in scholarly projects like SIM500 and in hands-on opportunities such as urology skills labs and anatomy teaching, without having to prioritize short-term financial considerations. He is deeply grateful for the generous support of donors, which has given him the flexibility to pursue his interest in urologic oncology and to prepare for a career guided by curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to serving patients where the need is greatest.

Impact of Financial Aid 

Impact of Financial Aid 

Christy is extremely grateful for the opportunity to immerse herself in her medical training and research. The generosity of donors has lifted what would have been a significant financial burden, allowing her to fully focus on rigorous coursework and engagement in a supportive community. 

2026 REACH Scholars

Mauricio Garcia

AB, Harvard University (2020)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2026)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (HST track) 
Mauricio Garcia

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.

Kaleigh has completed her core clinical rotations in surgery, medicine, psychiatry, neurology, radiology, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. She is particularly interested in helping others achieve pain-free, comfortable movement and is leaning toward a career in orthopedic surgery, while remaining inspired by her experiences in physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurology. She is currently dedicating time to studying for the Step 2 exam and advancing several research projects, including sports medicine research with an orthopedic surgeon, before returning for sub-internships and electives in March. Across her academic, clinical, and community work, Kaleigh remains grounded in a commitment to leadership, service, and expanding opportunities for others.  
​
In this video, produced last year, HMS student Kaleigh Beacham shares her daily routine, highlighting the resilience and dedication required to balance rigorous medical training with personal well-being. 

A Day in the Life of an HMS Student

Pathway to Medicine and Research

Mauricio Garcia is a fourth-year student in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST). Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, he is a first-generation college graduate and the son of a cook and a domestic worker. He earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University in 2020, receiving honors including the Herchel Smith–Harvard Undergraduate Science Award. While in college, Mauricio paired his scientific training with a strong commitment to service, serving as the director of MEDLIFE for Global Brigades. In this role, he organized medical service trips to Nicaragua and Peru, utilizing his Spanish fluency to facilitate care for Spanish-speaking patients.
Mauricio has developed a strong interest in ophthalmology and genetics. He leads computational genetics projects at HMS and Mass Eye and Ear, using data from approximately half a million individuals to define the genetic architecture of glaucoma. He also conducts research on retinal imaging studies to quantify disease risk from ocular images. After completing medical school, he hopes to begin ophthalmology residency, applying the computational, imaging, and clinical skills he has developed at HMS to improve diagnosis, surgical decision-making, and long-term outcomes for patients at risk of glaucoma and other retinal diseases. 

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

Kaleigh Beacham 

BS, Stanford University (2022) 
MS, Stanford University (2023)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2027)
 Kaleigh Beacham
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (Pathways track) 

Office of Alumni Affairs and Development


25 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115
giving@hms.harvard.edu

Pathway to Medicine and Research

Christy Zheng grew up in New York City and Roselle Park, New Jersey, and is a first-generation college graduate. She earned a BS and an MS in biomedical engineering and a certificate in global health studies from Yale University. She is particularly interested in advancing cardiovascular medicine at the intersection of imaging, machine learning, and outcomes research.
Now in her third year of medical training at HMS, Christy is pursuing research that uses computational methods to more accurately characterize cardiovascular risk. In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, she helped develop a machine-learning–derived “cardiac age” from transthoracic echocardiography and related it to cardiovascular health and functional status, which was published in The Journals of Gerontology. Christy has presented her imaging and outcomes research at national cardiology conferences alongside mentors from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). 
In addition to her research activities, Christy volunteers as a junior clinician at BIDMC, dedicating her Tuesday evenings to patient-centered primary care.

Yousef Abou Areda 

BA, Columbia University (2023)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2028)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (Pathways track) 
Yousef Abou Areda 

Pathway to Medicine and Research

Yousef Abou Areda is a second-year student in the Pathways program at Harvard Medical School, pursuing psychiatry with a focus on immigrant health, trauma, and mental health equity. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to low-income Egyptian immigrant parents, he witnessed how poverty, disability, and unstable housing shaped his family’s health. These experiences first inspired him to pursue medicine. His work as a harm reduction counselor at Harlem United—supporting HIV-positive individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders—and his volunteer experiences with Read Ahead and the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center have reinforced his dedication to trauma-informed, culturally responsive care. 
Yousef graduated in 2023 with a BA in psychology from Columbia University, where he founded youth-led initiatives to support communities affected by war and displacement. At HMS, his academic work centers on mental health in Arab American and other underserved communities, reflecting his commitment to equity and inclusion. 
He envisions a career as an academic psychiatrist dedicated to research, teaching, and expanding access to high-quality mental health care for immigrant and marginalized populations. Mentors in psychiatry and community health at HMS continue to shape his approach to equity and justice in medicine, strengthening his resolve to use clinical care, education, and research to reduce mental health disparities. 

 Marfy Abousifein

BA, McMaster University (2025)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2029)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (Pathways track) 
Marfy Abousifein
Marfy is a longtime musician; she sang in a multilingual children’s choir and later taught choir. 

Student Fun Fact: 

Pathway to Medicine and Research

Marfy Abousifein is a first-year student in the Pathways track at Harvard Medical School. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and raised in Milton, Ontario, where her family immigrated when she was 8. Shortly after arriving in Canada, her mother became disabled, and Marfy assumed caregiving responsibilities for both her mother and younger brother. She began working at age eight, often holding multiple jobs, to help support her family.
These experiences shaped her interest in medicine, aging, and health equity. Marfy graduated from McMaster University in 2025 with honors. At McMaster, she served as a teaching assistant in anatomy and physiology; she also led the Canadian Association on Gerontology club. She spent extensive time in research, including work in obstetrics and gynecology education and a thesis on sex inclusivity in anatomy curricula across Ontario programs, which she presented at national and international conferences.
Marfy has paired her academic work with a strong commitment to community service. She volunteered in clinical settings, including at the Queen Clinic and with Halton Healthcare, and founded two initiatives: EDN, which redistributes surplus food, medical, and wellness products to underserved communities in Canada and Africa, and Share a Smile (SAS), which connects students and seniors through letters, creative projects, and social events. At HMS, she hopes to continue working at the intersection of geriatrics, education, and community engagement. Support from financial aid donors has enabled Marfy to pursue medical training while remaining deeply involved in research and service, and she is grateful for the opportunity to build a career focused on caring for vulnerable and older adults.

 Christopher Robinson

 BA, Mississippi State University (2022)
MD, Harvard Medical School (Class of 2027)
2026 REACH Scholar
MD Program (Pathways track) 
Christopher Robinson
Financial aid has given Yousef the freedom to explore his interest in psychiatry without the burden of long-term student debt and to focus on learning, research, and professional growth. He is grateful for the opportunity to shape his career based on passion and impact rather than financial necessity.

Impact of Financial Aid 

Pathway to Medicine and Research

Christopher is a third-year student at Harvard Medical School and a first-generation college graduate from rural Mississippi, where early exposure to profound health disparities motivated him to pursue a career in medicine. He hopes to match into internal medicine followed by a fellowship in cardiology, with a particular interest in structural heart disease.
Driven by strong scientific curiosity and a commitment to equity, he aims to advance cardiovascular care through research that clarifies the causes of cardiovascular disease and informs more effective prevention and management, while ensuring that new therapies are delivered equitably. His research, including a project titled “Social Deprivation Score Derived from Principal Component Analysis of Survey Data Predictive of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a National Cohort,” was recently presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. 
At HMS, he has been actively involved in service through roles on the admissions committee, the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter executive board, and organizations dedicated to enhancing student life. 
Coming from a low-income background in rural Mississippi, Christopher would not have been able to attend HMS without this support. He vividly recalls learning of his acceptance with a sense of apprehension about cost, followed by relief and gratitude upon receiving the REACH Scholarship and realizing that he—someone who grew up on land his family once sharecropped—could train at one of the world’s leading medical schools. This support has allowed him to focus on clinical excellence, cardiovascular research, and service-oriented leadership rather than financial strain.

Impact of Financial Aid 

Thank you!