Ava S. Ryan has been named to the inaugural class of Day Foundation La Salle Scholars at Christian Brothers University (CBU). The scholarship provides full tuition for students who meet specific academic and personal criteria, including a minimum 2.5 GPA, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of at least 1200, and submission of two letters of recommendation and an essay on fairness, compassion, and leadership.

Ryan, a graduate of St. Benedict at Auburndale Catholic High School in Cordova, participated in the National Honor Society, completed six Advanced Placement classes, managed school plays as stage manager, volunteered with organizations such as Dorothy Day House and Feed the Need programs, and competed on bowling and trap teams.

She plans to major in biomedical sciences at CBU and pursue a career in medicine. Her mother works as a medical technologist in blood banks at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Ryan said her interest in healthcare was sparked during her junior year after taking anatomy and physiology courses.

“My junior year of high school, I took anatomy and physiology and decided I wanted to do something in healthcare,” said Ryan. She initially hesitated about the years required for medical training but added: “Learning about health and the human body, I rediscovered my passion for that. Now I am planning to go to school to be a doctor. … I like it when my friends or family come to me when something feels wrong. I like to help them find the root cause of why they might be feeling like that. If someone says they are feeling dizzy, I ask if they need water, if their blood sugar is low, if they need to eat something.”

The full-tuition scholarship was a significant factor for Ryan as she considers saving for medical school expenses.

Having recently started college life at CBU, Ryan noted differences between her experience so far and what she had heard from peers attending other universities.

“It surprised me how far the professors are willing to go for you,” she said. “At most colleges, the professors won’t know their students’ names. Here, they are actively trying to learn our names and things about us and know us as people. It’s the opposite of what I‘ve heard from friends at different schools.”

Ryan intends to use campus resources such as Career Services, Campus Ministry, and the Writing and Communications Corner while also joining groups including Aspiring Physicians of CBU; Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) Biological Honor Society; and clubs supporting Black and Hispanic students.