Leah Burch

Drexel University

Medicine

Leah's fascination with the field of medicine began at the tender age of eight. Captivated by the transformative power of medicine to improve lives, she was inspired by the medical professionals she encountered, who exhibited kindness, compassion, and deep knowledge. These experiences ignited Leah's passion for STEM and set her on a path of academic and personal growth. One of the most significant milestones in this journey was her involvement in SeaPerch, an underwater robotics program, which she participated in for three years.

Leah, despite being the youngest member of her team, was entrusted with the crucial roles of builder and design notebook engineer. She meticulously documented every step, method, challenge, and success that her team experienced. Her dedication and attention to detail paid off, as her team consistently placed first in the design notebook category each year. This achievement fueled Leah's desire to push herself further, leading her to attend STEM summer programs at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, where she continued to hone her skills and deepen her knowledge.

Leah aspires to become a physician, a dream she hopes to achieve with the support of the Pampalena C. Watson Excellence in Education Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship would be instrumental in helping her pursue her educational goals and fulfill her ambition of serving her community as a minority doctor. Leah is particularly driven by the alarming statistic that only 5.7% of all doctors identify as Black. She is committed to changing this narrative by not only becoming a physician but also by mentoring others and creating pathways for future generations of youth to enter the field of medicine.