Gumption and Goodwill
Dr. Georgenna Riley blazed her own trail. Now she helps others do the same through an endowed minority scholarship.

By Susie Shutts

To fund her own medical education, Riley “took out loans and earned scholarships,” says Pat Burnett, Ph.D., director of student affairs. “She didn’t have rich parents or a lot of savings.”

Burnett describes Riley as a caring individual, who often calls “to check up on us” in the Office of Student Affairs. “She’s just very generous,” Burnett says. “She lives by a notion of reciprocity. She’s told me, ‘I’m making money now, and I want to give back.’”

Riley joined the OU-COM Alumni Board three years ago, where she has put these words into action through both her endowed scholarship and generous contributions to the upcoming Academic & Research Center (ARC), a joint project of OU-COM and the Russ College of Engineering and Technology.

In early October, OU-COM awarded the inaugural Riley Scholarship to LaQuita Jones, OMS I, a Warrensville Heights native who participated in OU-COM’s Post-Baccalaureate Program, a year-long training program focused on increasing medical school access for both economically disadvantaged students from Appalachian Ohio and underrepresented minority students.

“Being a first-generation college student, I do not have family members who can relate to my pursuing a career in medicine,” Jones says. “It’s great to know someone like Dr. Riley, who has been through this journey and has been successful.”

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