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Photo: Donovan Williams

She graduated from the U of A with a bachelor’sdegree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in American IndianStudies and is currently a fourth-year medical student at the School ofMedicine.

Young acknowledges the resources offered at the Uof A helped her gain invaluable connections needed to get to where she is today:“I think the U of A offers lots of mentorship. I’ve made lifelong friends [andwe] have all pushed each other professionally.”

Williams, 29, agrees that the support given toits students by the U of A is unparalleled.

“The U of A has tremendous respect as educatorsnationwide,” he added.

Williams graduated from Flagstaff High Schooland chose to attend the U of A because of its renowned science programs. ForWilliams, who wanted to become a doctor, the programs offered at the U of Awere very appealing and the cost of attending an out-of-state university wouldhave doubled. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Physiology and iscurrently a third-year medical student at the U of A School of Medicine.

“It’s still in Arizona. The cost is verybeneficial and I kind of built up a little bit of a network,” said Williams ofhis reason for continuing at the U of A School of Medicine.

Both Young and Williams have had their share ofstruggles on their journeys into medicine but, through programs like TheFirst-Year Scholar’s Program, MedStart, and with the help of the NativeAmerican Student Affairs, they were able to get the support they needed toovercome obstacles that would have otherwise prevented them from reaching theirgoals.

Even with the support of family, friends, anduniversity staff, Williams knows there are other issues that prevent studentsfrom attaining an education but, he says, “sometimes it takes a little bit ofcourage to take that next step.”

The resources that Young recalls aren’t justprograms offered at the U of A, but the mentorship they were able to provide.“To name a few, we have Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, who is now the Director ofIndian Health Services, and Dr. Vanessa Jensen, who will be returning to TubaCity as a surgeon,” she says of the types of role models available to her atthe U of A. Young adds, “I would choose the U of A over any school, any day.”