New Century Scholar on Path to Becoming Physician

From living in London, then a small mountain town above Kamas, Utah and now Salt Lake City, where Carrie White is a student at Salt Lake Community College, the next chapter she writes for herself will likely include being a physician and an advocate for women’s health – in a destination as yet unknown.

Originally from England, White, 25, had studied overseas before coming to the United States. She chose SLCC, after a visit to its flagship Taylorsville Redwood Campus, in part for its affordability, but also because it looked like a university yet also had a “community” feel. A first-generation college student, she works part time from home for a financial institution and has had to heavily rely on scholarships, of which she has been awarded several. The most recent and impactful, the New Century Scholarship, was a much welcome addition to her own financial plan.

“Even now, it doesn’t really feel real,” White said, reflecting on being told this past month she’d won. An apt reaction, considering the scholarship is among the most competitive in the nation. Only one winner is chosen from each state for the $2,250 payout.

Specifically, White won the New Century Transfer Scholarship award, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kapp, of which White is a member, and the American Association of Community Colleges. Winners are chosen based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. White received the highest score in the state in the All-USA Academic Team competition, which is part of the application process for the award. More than 2,000 students were nominated for the scholarship from over 1,200 college campuses throughout the country.

White said she hopes to graduate with an associate’s degree in biology next spring before moving on to a four-year institution. One of her goals as a physician more broadly is to study and help overcome disparities in healthcare among women and marginalized communities.