Overview
The Morse Scholars program supports Pre-Health students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences who demonstrate tremendous academic and professional potential at the beginning of their collegiate career. Morse Scholars are students who are part of an under-represented population in healthcare and receive structured academic, professional, and financial support through the Beyond120 program during their undergraduate experience.
Purpose
The purpose of the Morse Scholar program is to provide promising Pre-Health students opportunities for academic support and experiential learning to prepare them for their professional life after college. Starting in the Fall of Freshman year, students are assigned a faculty mentor and as they move through UF, they receive funding to support professional experiences, access to excursions, service-learning opportunities, and resources for professional school preparation. Through this program, students cultivate depth of knowledge in diverse contexts and learn how to meaningfully apply this knowledge in the field of healthcare.
Benefits of being a Morse Scholar:
- Assigned a Beyond120 faculty Pre-Health advisor to meet with semesterly and as-needed
- Development of a four-year plan for coursework, experiences, and service
- Participation in Beyond120 Pre-Health academic courses
- Priority to all Beyond120 academic and experiential resources and activities
- Guaranteed participation in the Pre-Health Scholars program
- Guaranteed participation in the Pre-Health Scholars Service Groups
- Connection with professional mentors via Mentor Connect
- Leadership as a Morse Scholar Mentor
- Funding and preference for Beyond120 excursions, internships, research, and study abroad
Criteria for selection of Morse Scholars:
- Academic Major in the College of Liberal Arts & Science
- High School GPA – 4.0 weighted; 3.5 unweighted – consideration to lower GPAs on case by case basis
- Summer B GPA – UF GPA 3.3 minimum Will consider lower on case by case basis
- ALEKS score – 75%+ – place into MAC1147 Will consider MAC1140/MAC1114 on case by case basis
- Volunteer experiences and/or employment completed in high school demonstrating service to others
- Two letters of recommendation high school teacher, UF summer B instructor/advisor, character – employer, shadow, etc.
Apply Now
- Deadline August 5, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. (ET)
- Decisions released following summer grades
For more information, contact Bobbi Knickerbocker at rknicker@advising.ufl.edu. You can also book and manage appointments.
2023 Morse Scholars
Desiny Barlow
Desiny BarlowMy name is Desiny Barlow, and I am from Ocala, Florida. I graduated from West Port High School while dual enrolled and receiving my Associates of Arts degree from the College of Central Florida. I am majoring in Behavioral and Cognitive neuroscience on a pre-med track, and I aspire to become a neurosurgeon. In my free time I enjoy writing poetry, listening to music, and journaling.
Jacob Maytin
Jacob MaytinMy name is Jacob Maytin and I am from Miami, Florida where I graduated from Coral Reef Senior High School. I am currently a freshman at the University of Florida pursuing a major in pre-professional biology on a pre-med track. With this major I hope to attend medical school to follow my passion in becoming a neurologist or anesthesiologist. My hobbies include playing sports with friends, watching drama-filled shows and movies, and hanging out with friends and family. So excited for my next four years here at UF!
Tristan Skinner
Tristan SkinnerI am Tristan Skinner. I am from Palm Coast, Florida. I graduated with my AA from Daytona State College with dual enrollment. Now here at UF, I am majoring in biochemistry with the hopes of eventually getting into medical school. Afterwards, I hope to specialize in psychiatry. This combines my two biggest professional interests’ the medical field/treatment and psychology. Outside of school I work out and play video games during my free time. While cooking is technically a chore it is still an activity I enjoy doing. While I haven’t been on campus yet, I do hope to participate in some of the organizations offered.
Daniella Zamora
Daniella ZamoraMy name is Daniella Zamora and I’m a first-generation student coming to UF from Miami, Florida. I’m majoring in Microbiology and Cell science on the pre-med track as I am aspiring to become a dermatologist. Outside of class I enjoy serving my community, trying new things, and going out with my friends. I am so thrilled to spend these next four years at UF!.
2022 Morse Scholars
Ameerah Balogun
Ameerah BalogunMy name is Ameerah Balogun, and I am from Miami, Florida where I graduated from the School for Advanced Studies. I am a part of the Class of 2026 at the University of Florida as a Biology major on a pre-med track. I am pursuing medicine to fulfill my aspiration of becoming a Pediatric Oncologist. My passions outside of science are writing and public speaking and I hope to incorporate them into my future career and experience as a student. A fun fact about me is that I am in love with the sport volleyball, and I am always compelled to play whenever I spot a volleyball net. I am looking forward to working towards my goals as a pre-med student and I aim to learn and grow during my time as a Morse Scholar.
Priyanka Harrypersad
Priyanka HarrypersadMy name is Priyanka Harrypersad, and I am 18 years old from Orlando, Florida. I am majoring in women’s studies on the pre-med track and either want to become a neurosurgeon or OBGYN. I love cooking food and watching Kdramas. I am so excited to be here at UF!
Myla Queen
Myla QueenMy name is Myla Queen, and I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I graduated from Sandalwood High School with my Associates in Arts Degree with high honors. I am an incoming freshman majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. After finishing my bachelor’s degree here at UF, I want to attend medical school to become a forensic pathologist. My hobbies include listening to music, playing flag football, and hanging out with friends and family.
2021 Morse Scholars
Janae Hodge
Janae HodgeI am Janae Hodge, a graduate from Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Florida. I am a chemistry and zoology major at the University of Florida, class of 2025. I am on the pre-med track with aspirations of a career in anesthesiology.
Malana Jackson
Malana JacksonMy name is Malana Jackson, and I am an 18-year-old from Daytona Beach, FL. I am an incoming freshman majoring in Chemistry on the premedical track. I recently graduated from Mainland High School 3rd in my class and received my Associate of Arts degree with honors. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I plan to go to medical school to become a pediatrician. I enjoy reading new books, music, and baking tasty treats.
Emory Ranes
Emory RanesMy name is Emory Ranes, and my Inupiaq name is Yiyuk. I am from Anchorage, Alaska and my family is from Kotzebue, Alaska. I am wearing my traditional regalis: an Atikluk. I came to Florida because I believed I would have better opportunities to pursue my passion for medicine.
Manaal Zulfiqar
Manaal ZulfiqarMy name is Manaal Zulfiqar. I am a freshman at the University of Florida and planning to major in Microbiology and Cell science. I’m pre-health and want to pursue dentistry in the future. In my free time I like to read, swim, and cook. A couple strengths I have gained over time through education and life experiences are resilience and compassion. My greatest accomplishment to date is my volunteer experience at the radiology department at AdventHealth Hospital which has inspired and motivated me to stay focused on my pre-health aspirations.