Announcing the 
2019 Rosh Review – 
AAPA One Step Further Scholarship Winners

My name is Stephanie Cyphers and I am a first-year PA student at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, OH. Since beginning PA school, I have been very motivated to participate in as much volunteerism in the community as possible. From the Student Run Health Clinic, to community health screenings and the elementary school lead screening program, my motivation has been seeing the impact it can make on community members who need help the most.

Amber Price is a 2nd year PA student at the University of Southern California. Her undergraduate degree is in Political Science, and she is passionate about public policy and advocating for the PA profession. What motivates her to go One Step Further, is the importance of educating the public about the PA profession, and supporting future PAs. She enjoys assisting students on their path to PA school through her Instagram account @studyinginscrubs.

My name is John Patrick Cuenca and I am a first year PA student at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In my spare time, I volunteer at the St. Vincent’s Student Clinic and serve as the student liaison for the Texas Gulf Coast PA Association. As a firm believer in diversity and inclusivity and in an effort to improve the profession, I am working closely with the TGCPAA board to develop a local mentorship program to match PA students with working PAs. I am incredibly thankful to Rosh Review for this scholarship!

I am originally from Waterbury, CT. Graduated from Cornell University with a BA in chemistry and am now a current clinical year student at Pace University Physician Assistant Program. After successful completion of the program I look forward to practicing in medically under-served areas.

One day, I will find myself in charge of a patient’s wellbeing. One day, I will find myself teaching others to do the same. Right now, both tasks seem daunting. I find it an honor, and responsibility, to make the most of every educational and leadership opportunity so I can be the best version of myself. Today I go one-step further, so that one day I will be exactly who I need to be.

With a 14-year career in EMS and firefighting, I decided to become a PA after realizing my love for human physiology in treating the human machine extends further than stabilization. I am motivated to not only find my place in medicine but to teach and lead. It’s challenging to gain the mastery of a subject and even more challenging to teach it. I believe I have the tools to be great at both.

Paulina Paw is a PA student at Lock Haven University, where she serves as a Graduate Assistant and Student Society AOR Representative. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from State University of New York at Geneseo and a M.S. in Infectious Disease and Global Health from Tufts University. She abides by the premise of St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

My name is Carli Johnson and I’m a student in the Wake Forest University PA Program. I’ve wanted to be a PA since high school and grow more passionate about the profession every day. I’ve seen how health professionals have a profound impact on a person’s life through my work as a CNA and this is my motivation to go “one step further”. I want to make a positive impact on my future patients’ lives.

In my pursuit of a career in Emergency Medicine, I am constantly motivated by the work and passion of my peers both in my previous experience in EMS and now with my fellow classmates in PA school. However, my original inspiration came from my father, who started the ambulance service on his college campus and showed me the value of hard work, and who served his country in the military for over 25 years.

Elysia McNulty is completing her clinical phase at Pacific University, where she is concurrently enrolled in the PA and Geriatric Masters Certificate programs. She has also taken extra courses to further her global and inter-professional education and been given the opportunity to publish her research in a PA journal. She believes that being prepared and compassionate is the key to providing the best care for her patients.

I am very grateful to receive the Rosh Review AAPA One Step Further Scholarship! During my didactic and clinical training in PA school, I have strived to explore each topic and skill we have covered as I want to provide compassionate, evidence-based medicine for my patients. I believe in lifelong curiosity and education in order to advance the medical and scientific fields, and I hope to bring that curiosity to my future practice.

My desire to be a better provider motivates me to go one step further. There are many things that I am not good at, but there is nothing that I can’t work on. It brings me joy to turn my weaknesses into my strengths and be able to use them to help others. Luckily, as a PA, I will never run out opportunities to experience that joy all over again.

Hi, my name is Ryan Comeaux. I am a current second year student at the Hardin-Simmons Physician Assistant Program in Abilene, Texas. I am honored to be one of thirty of the inaugural class at HSU. I will be attending the AAPA Conference for the second time this year representing my school as its AAPA representative at the AOR meeting, and also as a member of our school’s first ever challenge bowl team.

My name is Brandon Bodnariuk and I am a first year PA student at the University of Detroit-Mercy. Everyday, I wake up eager to learn, and strive to be the most well-rounded PA I can be. I am motivated to take the next steps in being a greater PA by embracing my patients in my clinical visits, extending my learning past the required material, and learning from my classmates through their varied experiences.

I am currently in my clinical year at Idaho State University and I will be graduating in August. I completed my undergraduate degree from another ISU, Iowa State University, where I competed as a distance runner before moving to Idaho. One thing that drives me is a desire to continue learning and we can learn a lot from being active participants, which is why I try to take on new experiences and volunteering opportunities.

For every person in the world who doesn’t have the opportunity to pursue their dream, I count myself fortunate for everything I’ve been able to do and achieve, and that’s more than enough reason for me to push harder, stand taller, and speak louder for those who aren’t able to. This mission has been and will always be a motivating force for me as a fellow human being, PA student, and future healthcare leader.

I have the privilege of being part of the GWU PA Program, and both our excellent faculty and the exceptional colleagues I have found in my fellow PA students motivate me to go above and beyond, reaching for one step further. Their example reminds me every day of the importance of not settling for merely a passing grade on an exam or finally getting a set of letters after my name, but that aiming to always deepen my understanding and mastery of medical knowledge and skills will help me best serve my future patients.

My name is Michelle Gilden and I am a first year PA student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I am passionate about serving underserved communities, and am driven to make a difference as an Emergency Medicine PA in two short years. I am motivated to always go one step further any time I see a chance that I can possibly improve an outcome and make a difference in the lives of others.