Brown Scholar Testimonials
Lindsay De La Zerda
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Carson Benner
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The Craig & Galen Brown Foundation (Brown Foundation) awards undergraduate scholarships to high achieving, well-rounded students who achieve National Merit Semi-Finalist or Finalist status, have demonstrated leadership and community service, and attend Texas A&M University (A&M). Students are known as Brown Scholars and are recognized on the A&M campus as exceptional students and leaders. 95% of Brown Scholars major in engineering and the remainder major in other STEM disciplines.
The Brown Foundation awards Engineering Medicine (EnMed) scholarships to a subset of students who are offered Brown Foundation undergraduate scholarships. Each year, the Brown Foundation proffers its high school candidates for admission using the E2EnMed EAP pathway and can achieve 15+ Brown Scholars who attend Texas A&M, major in engineering disciplines, meet Brown Foundation and EnMed requirements and matriculate to the prestigious EnMed Program.
Chemical Engineering
From my interview for the Brown Foundation to present day, I can confidently say that the Brown Foundation has changed my life. Sue Smith and Craig Brown have given me not only financial support through college, but also a multitude of opportunities and an even greater network of individuals. I am so thankful to the Brown Foundation for everything they have given me!
Neuroscience
The Brown Foundation has been one of the greatest blessings during my time at Texas A&M. Not only have I been afforded academic and professional opportunities that I never could have anticipated, but the Brown Foundation has made a large university feel like a family.
Aerospace Engineering
The Brown Foundation has helped immensely in securing my financial situation so that all of my focus can be on academics and extracurriculars. With their support, I have been able to participate in the fast-track Quantitative Finance Master’s program while receiving my engineering degree and remaining involved with campus leadership. I have met countless motivated and amazing students through the scholarship program and made professional connections which I am sure will last a lifetime!
Biomedical Science
Receiving a Brown Foundation Scholarship has changed my life and the commitment that Mr. Brown and Ms. Smith have shown me has a huge factor in my decision to attend A&M. They attended my concerts as a Singing Cadet, they hosted a lunch for Brown Scholar HM SURI summer interns, and they have given me freedom to pursue my academic interests. I have also benefitted from Brown Scholars who have helped and supported me and were instrumental to my academic success.
Biomedical Engineering
The generosity of the Craig & Galen Brown Foundation has brought me into an extraordinary community of hardworking, passionate, and service-oriented people. The integrity of my Brown Scholar peers continually inspires me to be the best version of myself.
Business
I have so much gratitude for the Brown Foundation and the amazing opportunities I have been provided. Fellow Brown Scholars as well as each individual I have interacted with at the Brown Foundation have been incredibly kind and supportive. Being surrounded by individuals who embody the Texas A&M core values has pushed me in personal, academic, and professional growth.
Biomedical Engineering
The warm support of Mr. Craig Brown and Ms. Sue Smith has emboldened me to reach and work towards goals I never thought possible, such as being a physicianeer. I am grateful for the life-changing opportunities and character-building relationships I have made thanks to the Brown Foundation.
President and CEO, Texas A&M Foundation
Carlos Vasquez, an Engineering Honors Student at Texas A&M University, explores the fascinating intersection of ethics and technology, specifically within the realm of artificial intelligence.
His research centers on understanding the effects of LLM-enabled classrooms on education and the ethical development of AI systems.
Anish Easwaran, a junior Biomedical Engineering major, is a member of Engineering, Inc., the NSF I-CorpsSite program, Engineering Honors Executive Committee, Vice-President and Co-Founder of Aggies to Medicine, and TAMECT and a member of the Aggie Entrepreneurial Committee (his entrepreneurial efforts include StimuCalm, Aegis Armor, PillSafe and an app for pre-med students).
He is a Brown Foundation Freshmen Leadership Officer and was one of the three group leaders of the inaugural MSC Brown Smith UK Honors Leadership trip.
Anish and his teammates placed in the top 3 for the Rice Health Policy Hackathon, 3rd and 4th at Aggies Invent and Top 6 at Aggie Pitch.
He was a Gathright Dean’s Excellence Award winner for the College of Engineering and has a cumulative 3.9 GPA.
Anish was admitted to EnMed using the E2EnMed EAP pathway.
Sarah Voon, a junior Biomedical Engineering major, received her Aggie ring and completed her undergraduate thesis as a sophomore.
She is a Brown Foundation Freshmen Leadership Organization officer and was one of the three group leaders of the inaugural MSC Brown-Smith UK Honors Leadership trip.
Sarah was inducted into Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the National Biomedical Engineering Honor Society. She is a member of TAMECT.
Sarah has a cumulative 4.0 GPA and she took the MCAT a year early and scored 98%.
She was admitted to EnMed using the E2EnMed EAP pathway.
Dawson Benner, a junior Interdisciplinary Engineering major, spent the summer at IIT Gandhinagar, India researching the use of red carbon dots (produced from mango leaves) to: reduce cancer cells counts by 50% without damaging benign cells; close wounds between cells and increase cell counts; and differentiate neurons and cause connections between them, an avenue for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Dawson was first co-author of “Red Emitting Carbon Dots: Surface Modifications and Bioapplications” published in Nanoscale Advances.
Dawson has a cumulative 4.0 GPA and began fast-track coursework for the Master’s in Quantitative Finance at Mays Business School as a sophomore.
Cathryn Gunawan, a sophomore Biomedical Engineering major, was one of two Houston Methodist Summer Undergraduate Research Internship interns who received the 2023 Outstanding Intern Award.
Additionally, Cathryn, along with her fellow Brown Scholars Megan Guy and Anna Claire Holleman, were recipients of the One Step Above Award and the Eloquent Presenter Award.
Cathryn has a cumulative 4.0 GPA.
She was admitted to EnMed using the E2EnMed EAP pathway.
Michael Frost, a sophomore Aerospace Engineering major, opened a makerspace, Starforge Foundry, open to students interested in engineering projects.
L-R: Brown Scholar Meghan Shimer, Craig, Michael Frost, Sue, Interim Dean Johnny Hurtado.
Starforge Foundry tools include: lathe, laser cutter, 3D printers, bandsaw, hand tools, belt/disc sander, sheetmetal brake, flaring tools, spot welder, bench grinder, soldering irons, and a miniature CNC mill.
Michael has a cumulative 4.0 GPA.
Sophomore Brown Scholar Athul Mohanram secured a prestigious 2024 Software Engineering Internship at Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control Division this summer. His team developed a missile launcher interface in collaboration with Lockheed’s Next-Gen Short Range Interceptor team.
Athul is the incoming President of Partners in Health Engage (PIH Engage), a public health organization that educates legislators and individuals about issues facing healthcare workers.
Athul is a research assistant in Dr. Feng Zhao’s Stem Cell and Engineering Lab at A&M. His research led to a novel stem cell therapy that promotes cell regrowth in severe wounds resulting in a $5K grant. He has received authorization to begin his undergraduate senior thesis.
He was admitted E2EnMed EAP
Abhinaya Murugndandham, a Junior Biomedical Engineering major, was a coauthor on computational biology research published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.
She was first author for an abstract with Houston Methodist research in cardiac imaging published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). Abhinaya presented her abstract as a poster for the 72nd Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
She serves as Treasurer for TAMECT (Texas A&M Emergency Care Team).
Abhinaya has a cumulative 4.0 GPA and scored 100% on the MCAT.
She was admitted to EnMed using the E2EnMed EAP pathway.