Lauryn Bender (2026)
Lauryn was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania, when she was 4 years old. She attended the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BS in neuroscience and a minor in chemistry. Now in her third year of medical school, Lauryn mentors aspiring medical students and volunteers at the Eliza Shirley Clinic, one of Drexel’s Health Outreach Project student-run clinics. She was elected to serve on the leadership team of the clinic as a patient advocate, guiding student volunteers through the patient interview process. Lauryn also works as a patient navigator at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, engaging with patients during checkups and providing health resource information to patients and their families.

Lauryn has great interest in promoting health equity, and she plans to pursue a path in medicine to bring quality health care to underserved communities.

Lauryn Bender's Woman One scholarship is sponsored by the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust.

Bernice Kear (2026)
Bernice was born in Monrovia, Liberia, moved to the U.S. as a child and was raised in northern Virginia. She graduated with a BS in biochemistry from the University of Mary Washington, followed by a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. She later earned a master’s degree in physiology from Georgetown University. Now in her third year of medical school, Bernice is actively pursuing HIV research and has authored a manuscript for the HIV Specialist Magazine. She received two peer awards at the end of her second year in medical school, including the Small Group Participation and Professionalism Award, as well as the Frontiers Population Health Challenge Award. Outside of her studies, she continues to volunteer with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program in Philadelphia.

Bernice has an interest in global and public health, and she hopes to positively impact the lives of her patients and contribute as a physician to the advancement of health care.