Five medical school graduates receive scholarship named for late classmate

Christiana Hoff and Harold Thomas, parents of the late Samantha Thomas, receive her hood posthumously at the USA College of Medicine Academic Hooding Ceremony.

The USA College of Medicine announced the first recipients of a scholarship named in honor of Samantha Thomas, a member of the Class of 2022 who was killed in a car crash almost two years ago at age 24.

Samantha Thomas

Graduating medical students Zachary Aggen, Paige Farley, Michelle Nguyen, Catherine Taylor and Melody Zeidan each received a $1,000 Samantha Alison Thomas Memorial Scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, medical students must be U.S. citizens, rank in the top 25% of their class and demonstrate financial need.

As the 76 members of the Class of 2022 received their academic hoods on Thursday, May 5, Thomas’ green and black hood, lined in red, white and blue, was presented posthumously to her parents, Harold Thomas and Christiana Hoff. The family established the scholarship endowment in 2021.

John V. Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine, announced at the ceremony that the college would contribute $125,000 toward the scholarship endowment fund and that future donations would be matched dollar for dollar, for a total contribution of up to $250,000.

Thomas, a native of Guntersville, died in a car crash in Mobile on August 1, 2020. She was remembered by her classmates as a ray of sunshine, a beautiful spirit with an ever-present smile, a brilliant mind with compassion to match, a nonjudgmental and supportive friend, and a strong young woman who overcame hardships and persevered in life. While at the USA College of Medicine, she served on the Honor Council and as secretary of the Anesthesiology Interest Group.

To make a gift to support the Samantha Alison Thomas Memorial Scholarship Endowment, visit giving.usahealthsystem.com/sthomas.