Ambassador scholars (L-R) Lawrence P. Carter II, Jihoon Rha, Elliott Craven, Preston Dwight Lavinghousez and Robert Williamson celebrate with Health Science Center President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., after receiving their awards.
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Each year five outstanding students, one from each school, are selected to serve as Ambassador Scholars. Ambassador Scholars are selected on the basis of academic merit and leadership and represent their schools at Health Science Center events. The scholars were honored at an April 27 ceremony.

The scholar for the School of Allied Health Sciences is Jihoon Rha. Rha, vice president of her class, earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin and is an honors student in the department of dental laboratory technology. Rha has made the Dean’s Honor List and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship for the Allied Health Professions. She also received first place in the crown and bridge division of the Dental Laboratory Technology statewide competition. She serves as a leader in the community by serving on and leading numerous mission trips in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Preston Dwight Lavinghousez is the ambassador scholar for the School of Medicine. Lavinghousez is a third-year medical student and earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Texas A & M University in College Station. Lavinghousez serves in many leadership roles including: class officer, Student Government representative, president of the Medical School Recruitment Committee, peer adviser and a mentor to Health Careers High School students. He is also a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society Committee. At the end of the 2002 to 2003 school year, his GPA of 4.0 earned him the top spot in a class of 207.

The scholar for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is Lawrence P. Carter II. Carter, a third-year doctoral student in the pharmacology department, earned a bachelor of arts in biology degree from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. Carter has maintained a 4.0 GPA while working in the laboratory and participating in numerous activities with local and national science groups. He is active in the Graduate Student Association and mentors students at Health Careers High School. Carter has authored six papers, including three as first author, in the “Journal of Pharmacology and Experiments Therapeutics.” He travels extensively and has presented his research findings at national and international meetings.

Robert Williamson is the Ambassador Scholar for the Dental School. Williamson is a third-year dental student. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in international politics from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Williamson has maintained an excellent academic record and has served in various leadership positions, including class officer. Williamson has participated in dental-related research at the Health Science Center and has won numerous prizes for his research endeavors. He also serves as a leader by providing tours of the Dental School and mentoring undergraduates. He teaches an early morning bible study class before coming to school each morning and has participated in many mission trips to Mexico.

The scholar for the School of Nursing is Elliott Craven. Craven graduated magna cum laude from the Health Science Center’s School of Nursing in 1998. He is a full-time gerontological nurse practitioner student. While in graduate school, Craven has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is a recipient of the John Hartford Foundation Fellowship from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. As a recipient of this award he will attend a national leadership conference this fall. Craven is an active community volunteer and an avid bicyclist, racing both mountain bike and road bike. He also volunteers his time building bike trails at the YMCA Robert’s Ranch, which provides outdoor bicycling opportunities for disadvantaged children.