The scholarship is worth $220,000 over 4 years. The tuition debt is paid retroactive up to $55,000 annually for each year of medical school tuition.
2024 Scholarship: SAYEH AKHAVAN, DO, MPH.
On July 21, 2024 the scholarship was awarded to Sayeh Akhavan, DO, MPH, currently a second year Pediatric resident at Valley Children’s Hospital. She
has received the first installment of the scholarship.
As a first-generation American with an Iranian father and an American mother, Sayeh brings a rich cultural perspective and an impressive academic record. She speaks basic Farsi and basic Spanish. She has lived in the Valley all her life, and she is committed to serving underserved areas in California’s Central Valley upon completing her training in 2026, demonstrating a deep dedication to improving healthcare access and outcomes for the community.
2023 Scholarship: XENG X. XIONG, MD.
On July 30, 2023, the second scholarship was awarded to Xeng X. Xiong, MD, also a FM resident, from the Valley Health Team, chaired by Lydia Herrera-Mata, MD. He is from Laos and the family left on foot to reach a refugee camp in Thailand, mother, father and 7 kids.
His father passed away when he was 2 years old. Finally, they were granted asylum in the US and arrived when he was 7 years old. He became the official translator for the family and friends.
He became interested in Medicine because of that, and now he is a 3rd year resident in FM. Great history and great recipient of the scholarship.
Click here to see his acceptance speech.
His teaching videos can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/@drxengxai
We named the 2023 scholarship after Pedro Ilic, who passed away after a bad fall playing tennis about 30 years ago. The Ilic family is the main donor for this scholarship.
2024 update: Xeng graduated in June 2024 and now is working in Kingsburg and rotating in other neighborhood towns as needed. He received the second installment of the scholarship.
2022 Scholarship: TANIA ZAVALZA JIMENEZ, MD
On July 29, 2022 the Foundation awarded the first scholarship to Dr. Tania Zavalza Jimenez, M.D ., a 3rd. year Family Practice Resident from the University of California San Francisco Medical School, Fresno branch. Tania is a graduate from Ross University and her debt is over $400,000 including daily living expenses. Doctor Zavalza signed a contract committing her to work in an underserved area of the Valley for 4 years, after graduating from her Family Practice Residency. She is from the Valley and grew up in the Valley. She understands the needs of the people that lives in underserved areas, having experienced the lack of access to medical care in these areas. She speaks English and Spanish.
We are proud of Tania being selected as our first scholarship recipient, and we are looking forward to be able to help more Primary Care Doctors with their huge medical school tuition debt.
The 2022 scholarship has been named after Dr James P Zettas MD. Click here to read the speech given at the 2023 awards ceremony by his wife, Pat Zettas.
2024 update: She graduated in June 2023. She works in Parlier, and she also is a Faculty member at UCSF. She received the third installment of her scholarship.
