Southington Rotary announces 2005 Thomson scholars

Aaron Laviana, a junior at Notre Dame University, and Marta Mieczkowska, a 2005 graduate of Boston University, have been selected to receive the 2005 Southington Rotary William S. Thomson Scholarships and will be honored at the annual William S. Thomson Golf Scramble Dinner at the Aqua Turf Club on Wednesday, July 13. The Thomson scholarships are for post-secondary (graduate or undergraduate) students who, as high school seniors, were recipients of Southington Rotary Club scholarships.

Aaron Alan Laviana, a 2003 Southington High School graduate, will receive a $3,000 scholarship. "Ever since I can remember, I have been extremely fascinated by the field of science. From learning about action potentials to cell junctions to how each of the muscles in the body interact, I have always wanted to learn more about each of these individual fields. Thus, I do not think it is too surprising that after college I would like to enter medical school. By being a doctor, I would be continually engaged in a particular area of science that I love with the opportunity to solve questions that no one before has. While I cannot pinpoint when I first wanted to become a doctor, I do know that volunteering at Bradley Memorial Hospital throughout my time at Southington High School helped me realize that this is what I was meant to do, having the ability to affect the lives of many." Aaron is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame double majoring in biology and economics with a 3.77 grade point average. He plans to attend medical school with the aspiration of becoming a doctor specializing in either neurology or oncology. This summer, Aaron is interning at the UCONN health center conducting colon cancer research as part of their graduate school fellowship program. He has had previous research experience at Yale University conducting skin cancer research. In addition to research experience, Laviana is a freshman biology teacher assistant and is actively involved in tutoring student athletes as well as middle school students. He is actively involved in Right to Life, is an Urban Plunge Site Leader, a Freshman Orientation Commissioner, a commitee chair for the biology club, and a member of the college of democrats. Aaron has made the Dean's List at Notre Dame every semester and was Southington High School's class essayist (ranked 3rd in the class). He has been a member of his dormatory intramural racquetball, baseball, and tennis teams. In the fall, Aaron will be studying abroad in London.

Marta Mieczkowska, a 2001 Southington High School graduate, will receive a $2,500 scholarship. "The piercing cry of an infant does not tell you anything about the discomfort he/she is experiencing; however, it does voice a need for help. As a future physician, I would like to be the one who answers that cry for help and therefore neonatology appeals to me tremendously. This particular field of medicine interests me because it would allow me to concentrate my efforts where they are most needed. The harsh truth is that many mothers abuse their bodies during pregnancy and it is the babies that suffer most. On the other hand, there are mothers who take every precaution and yet complications still arise resulting in premature births. No matter the circumstance, these premature babies enter the world with a diminished chance of survival. Increasing survival rate of these infants through advancing technology and improvements in medicine is a spectacular feat and one that I would like to be a part of." Marta graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston University majoring in biology and minoring in sociology and will be attending the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She would like to eventually go neonatology, but is open to any field in medicine at this point. While at Boston University, Marta made the Dean's List and was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the pre-med honorary society. She was Class of 2005 student government vice-president, volunteered at the BU Red Cross Chapter and the Student Food Rescue food shelter, was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, played intramural floor hockey, and was an emergency medical technician at the BU facilities and an undergraduate laboratory assistant. Previously, she did research at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston assisting in the STAR Trial which is testing tamoxifen and raloxifen as possible drugs used for breast cancer prevention. Also, she has done research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in association with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, trying to find a novel protein marker to screen when testing for ovarian cancer. This summer Marta has decided to take it easy and will be traveling to California for a week and then a two week tour of Europe.

The 2005 William S. Thomson Golf Scramble will be held Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at Southington Country Club with dinner, awards and entertainment following at the Aqua Turf Club. Information for golf registration, starting times, hole sponsorships and dinner-only registration can be found at billthomsongolf.blogspot.com/.

Southington Rotary Club Scholarships