Scholars in the News
Reshma Tharani, 21, is part of a new breed of community college student
Scholars in the Arts
Randy’s provocative works of metal, wood, and paint have earned considerable recognition.
Brenda Lin
“The idea of researching topics that no one else has ever explored before makes me giddy with excitement. But taking that idea further by working as a doctor, completing the link between scientific advances and the people they are supposed to help, feels even more human and satisfying.”
- Program: 2008 College Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: Kansas City, MO
- Four-year College or University: Harvard University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Art History, Architecture, Medicine
Biography
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUNG SCHOLAR EXPERIENCE: Brenda pursued the sciences and the arts with equal passion. She took a course in neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth and participated in the Advanced Mentorship Program in Biomedicine. She also presented research at the Pasteur Institute and University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. Later she returned to Paris to study medicine and architecture, earning the outstanding student award for medicine. She also participated in a Buddhist Youth monastic retreat, where she studied Mahayana Buddhism, translated sutras from Chinese to English and learned multiple forms of meditation. “The Foundation has helped broaden my physical, cultural and intellectual boundaries.”
PROFILE: In 6th grade, Brenda experienced firsthand the devastating effects of a death in the family when her father, aunt, and grandfather passed away within two months of each other. Her decision to pursue a medical career is rooted in these circumstances. She has had a steady focus on the sciences, completing the highest levels of biology and chemistry within two years. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, she has also pursued new passions such as art history and architecture with the help of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
INSPIRATION: Brenda’s father is the lasting influence in her life. “My father’s last words to me as I curled up on the hospital bed next to him were: ‘I’m proud of you.’ I try to live my life in a way that honors my father’s memory so those words may never be untrue.”
ASPIRATION: A career in medicine.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: As freshman coach of her school Academic League and Quizbowl, Brenda traveled with her team as far as Chicago to compete in National Academic Quiz Tournaments. She is a member of the San Diego Youth Symphony and performs at various benefits and events.
ACCOLADES: Brenda is a National Merit Scholarship Winner, a National AP Scholar, a member of the Fraternity of Academic and Civic Excellence, a Biology Olympiad Semifinalist, and recipient of a Bank of America Plaque of Achievement Award. She finished first at the San Diego Junior Olympiad qualifiers for Cadet Women’s Foil (United States Fencing Association) and represented San Diego at the Junior Olympics.
INTERESTING FACT: During her stay in Paris, Brenda stumbled through Père Lachaise Cemetery in the rain to kiss Oscar Wilde’s grave.
Other Scholars Like Brenda
Anguel Alexiev
College Scholar
California Institute of Technology
Hannah Kang
College Scholar
Brown University
Janiece Kelly
College Scholar
University of Pennsylvania
Gaurav Shah
Graduate Scholar
INSEAD Business School