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Natasha Hongsermeier-Graves |
Hongsermeier-Graves, a graduate of Morningside College and a Nebraska native from Phillips, Neb., will receive $120,000 to support her studies at UNMC. The Dennis R. Washington Leadership Scholarship is awarded to Horatio Alger Alumni Scholars who are pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in the fields of business, education, engineering, medicine and applied sciences.
Hongsermeier-Graves, who majored in biology, chemistry and music at
Morningside, is an admissions counselor at her alma mater.
“Whenever I’m in the Omaha area for a college fair and happen to drive by UNMC’s campus, I feel super excited to envision myself there next year.”
Hongsermeier-Graves has always been interested in a career in medicine, she said. As she begins her first year, she is interested in exploring a path to neurology or neurosurgery.
“The human brain is the most interesting thing in the world.”
The Dennis R. Washington Leadership Scholarship is awarded to only seven students across the nation. Students are chosen not only for academic excellence but for leadership skills and civic/community involvement. In 2015, Hongsermeier-Graves created a volunteer organization called Musicians for Healing that brings live vocal and instrumental music to hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities.
“I look forward to starting a branch of Musicians for Healing in the Omaha area and the UNMC medical systems next year,” she said.
“Community involvement and volunteering are important to me because I am driven to live my life in a way that creates a positive impact, no matter how big or small, in the lives of others,” she said. “Growing up on a small farm in rural Nebraska, my parents instilled in me the importance of living a selfless life, and I want to carry on that legacy in the medical field.”
Hongsermeier-Graves is looking forward to returning to Nebraska for medical school and hopes to someday practice in the Midwest.
“I’ve had some unique opportunities to live in different places, from Maine to Mexico, but the people of Nebraska are certainly the nicest drivers and kindest strangers.”