AvenueM honors Yuba College students with $1,000
scholarships
(May 20, 2024) Marysville, Calif. – Yuba College students Lizbeth Gonzalez and
Kirandeep Khatkar have been honored with the AvenueM Scholar Award of $1,000,
recognizing their academic excellence and potential in the medical field.
AvenueM – the “M” stands for “medicine” – is a pathway program designed to bridge
community college students to medical school, with a focus on supporting
individuals from communities that have typically been underrepresented in medicine.
Supported by a $1.8 million grant from the Foundation for California Community
Colleges, the program is part of the broader California Medicine Scholars Program
initiative to advance health equity through a diverse physician workforce.
Yuba College and the University of California Davis entered into a memorandum of
understanding for the AvenueM program in 2022 and also partnered on AvenueB,
focused on students transferring from YC to UC Davis in biological sciences.
“Designed to provide additional support to students and ensure a smooth transition
from Yuba College to UC Davis, Sacramento State, and Cal Poly Humboldt,
AvenueM is a great opportunity to focus on our own service area’s needs,” said Dr.
Tawny Dotson, president of Yuba College. “Our community continues to struggle to
fill healthcare workforce needs, which is one of many ways we focus our efforts on
Yuba-Sutter.”
Gonzalez is a biology major who plans to become a surgeon. She reflected on her
experience with the program thus far.
“Being a first-generation student, it’s difficult to navigate college and access
resources to help you make your way through it. It’s even harder when you don’t
know what it’s like going into the medical field. Thankfully, AvenueM makes it
accessible for students by holding panels, workshops and internships.”
That support is precisely the mission that AvenueM seeks to provide.
Saraí Escalante, AvenueM outreach coordinator at UC Davis School of Medicine,
explained, “One of the most important components of this program is how
comprehensive it is. We aim to go beyond academic support and find holistic ways
to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as provide students
with the opportunities to grow in their careers and learn about the experiences
available to them in rural and medically underserved areas in Northern California.”
Gonzalez also shared appreciation for the efforts made by staff and faculty at Yuba
College to guide her through her first two years of college and prepare her for her
transfer to UC Davis.
“Yuba College has been a huge supporter of my career goals and personal goals.
They have been there every step of the way by providing support in every way
possible,” she said, adding, “They have prepared me for this next step of transferring
by making information about other schools very accessible and providing support
with the transfer process.”
With her start at UC Davis on the horizon, Gonzalez expressed gratitude for the
AvenueM award.
“I am beyond thankful for being chosen as the recipient of this scholarship. As an
AvenueM student, this makes me feel extremely supported on my journey to medical
school—more than I already have.”
To learn more about AvenueM visit avenuem.ucdavis.edu/program-overview.
About Yuba College:
Yuba College is committed to providing equitable student learning and success. We offer
degree and certificate programs leading to career and transfer opportunities for our
diverse communities. It is our vision to provide innovative and student-centered
educational opportunities and services that are equitable and that empower students to
become transformative and productive members of our communities.