2022 Presidential Ambassador Scholars recognized

From left: Dr. William Henrich, Jonathan Thompson, Lorenzo Canseco, Julissa Del Bosque, Caitlyn Swopes and Carlo Vanz.

UT Health San Antonio’s new Presidential Ambassador Scholars for 2022 were officially recognized by President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, on April 4.

Dr. Henrich presented each student with their medals and recognized their achievements, with each ambassador awarded a $5,000 scholarship. The ambassadors represent the student body and the university at numerous events throughout the year.

The five scholars, one from each school in the university, are: Lorenzo Canesco, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine; Carlo Vanz, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Julissa Del Bosque, RN, School of Nursing; Caitlyn Swopes, School of Health Professions; and Jonathan Thompson, School of Dentistry.

Lorenzo Canseco is a first-year medical student in the Long School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he worked in Central Texas as a firefighter and EMT, eventually becoming a lieutenant. While he enjoyed this role, he felt limited in the aid he could provide, which led him to pursue a career in medicine. In May 2021, he graduated from St. Edward’s University with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, then moved to San Antonio to begin his next chapter as a medical student. He was recently accepted to be a Veritas Peer Advisor and looks forward to exercising his skills in mentorship and teamwork to help new medical students.

Carlo Vanz is a third-year PhD student in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Born and raised in Italy, Carlo moved to the United States to attend college, earning a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in financial management at Lamar University. He currently works in the lab led by Elizabeth Leadbetter, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, where he studies the role of the immune system in obesity-associated chronic inflammation. He also serves as the San Antonio director of Enventure, a nonprofit organization that supports life science innovators and helps students gain hands-on experience in the biomedical industry.

Julissa Del Bosque, RN, is a 2020 graduate from the School of Nursing, graduating magna cum laude with Clinical Service Distinction. She is currently in her second year of the PhD in Nursing program and is employed as a registered nurse at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, working the frontlines on a COVID-19 medical-surgical designated floor. Julissa has received various honors including a nomination for the 2021 Best 25 Nurses of South Central Texas by the San Antonio Nursing Consortium. She is also a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and was the recipient of the 2022 DNA Award from the San Antonio Nursing Consortium.

Caitlyn Swopes is a fourth-year student in the Physician Assistant (PA) program in the School of Health Professions. During her time in the program, Caitlyn served as the Physician Assistant Clinical Organization service coordinator, overseeing more than 50 opportunities for PA students to become engaged within the community. She completed research on Operation Naloxone, gaining poster acceptance to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium, the 15th Annual CSL Conference and the 2022 Society of Student Run Free Clinics Conference. She is the first PA student to be accepted into the inaugural School of Health Professions Distinction in Research Program.

Jonathan Thompson is a third-year student in the School of Dentistry. Originally from New Orleans, his family relocated to Killeen, Texas following Hurricane Katrina. Following his enlistment in the Air Force, he earned a bachelor’s in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. As he pursues his career in dentistry, his goal is to provide greater access to dental care for those in disadvantaged communities, using his own childhood experiences to implement compassionate, quality care to his patients. In addition, he is president of the third-year class at School of Dentistry and an officer in the Student Dental Business Organization. He also serves as a mentor in the community for perspective dental students.

 

 

 

 

 



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