Alleviating Financial Burden: How a UNCF Scholarship Helped This Spelman College Alumna
Mikaili Senwah, a recent graduate from Spelman College, one of UNCF’s member institutions, received the Slater-Millner Scholars Fund from UNCF. The biology major and proud first-generation college student is currently working toward a dual bachelor of science/master of science (BS/MS) degree in neuroscience at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Senwah is grateful the UNCF scholarship she received alleviated the financial burden and “made college more enjoyable,” she said. “It really gave me the opportunity to focus on school, not the threat of being dropped from what I’m here to do.”
“[The scholarship] helped me excel in ways I didn’t expect,” she continued. “It gave me the opportunity to be inspired by myself, because I believe in what I’m doing, but others do too and they’re willing to invest their resources in me.”
In partnership with UNCF, Dr. Nancy Slater and Dr. Alan Millner developed the scholarship to provide financial assistance to sophomores who are on a pre-med track with a demonstrated interest in serving underserved communities. The program, administered by UNCF, also offers mentorship and advising services through the Ascension Medical Educators – Aspiring Physicians Program. The Aspiring Physicians Program offers recipients monthly webinars focused on topics like professional identity, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) prep and one-on-one academic advising.
Dealing with a Skin Condition Inspired Her Interest in Dermatology
After receiving her master’s degree from Morehouse School of Medicine, she plans to study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and attend medical school, focusing on dermatology or neuroscience.
Senwah’s interest in medicine was inspired by her experiences with a chronic inflammatory skin condition. “Because I have that lived experience, I would love to be able to show up in that space for people who experience the same thing,” she explained. “It took a while for me to even get diagnosed by my dermatologist. I had to see a lot of doctors and go on medicines that were scary and had crazy side effects.”
“That experience was isolating, I felt really misunderstood,” she shared. “In that moment, I really understood what medicine was. I go to the doctor’s because something is wrong with me, and [hope to] be fixed when I leave. Medicine is so much more than someone having all the answers or solutions—it’s more about how they make you feel, how you can connect with your patients.”
In sophomore year, Senwah took a neuroscience class and met the Neuroscience Institute program director from Morehouse. “He said even if you’re set on dermatology, don’t close yourself off because there’s so much in the world of research and curiosity is all you need,” she shared. “That’s how I ended up in the neuroscience master’s program.”
She interned in a lab in Boston, MA. “We used patient samples to conduct research on disease,” she said. “I want to do that exact thing in my career—research and medicine became super important to me.”
Planting the Spelman Seeds
Senwah’s mom had planted the Spelman seeds in her brain, saying “‘I think Spelman would be a great opportunity for you, it’s an HBCU, it’s all women.’” Senwah looked up a few videos about the college on YouTube, and was drawn in. “I immediately felt, wow, this place seems like a dream to be in, a space curated towards helping Black women advance and evolve and be successful,” she remembered.
“It’s so easy for us to feel like we don’t necessarily belong in certain spaces or feel like we have to be quiet in a room or minimize who we are,” Senwah shared. “I would like to be in an environment where that’s a non-factor, and grow as a person and show up in the world differently. That was one of the main things that drew me.”
Her favorite memory from Spelman is the tradition of walking through the arch after graduation. “You don’t walk through the arch until you’re officially making that transition from Spelmanite to Spelman woman,” she said.
As she made her way under the arch, generations of Spelman women cheered for the recent graduates. “They were waiting for us, saying ‘you did it, I’m so proud of you,’” she said. “So many people from different walks of life, some are older, some are pregnant, some are babies—I feel like I’m seeing different versions of myself. [It will] forever be a core memory for me.”
From First-Generation College Student to College Family Legacy
Many of her fellow students’ parents had gone to the same school as their children. As a first-generation college student, Senwah didn’t have that experience. “I learned so much about networking, who you are, who your mom is,” she explained. “I have to work harder because there is no one who knows who I am or who my parents are. It definitely made me a little bit more hardworking, and gave me a sense of realism, because that’s how the world works on a daily basis, it’s all networking and connections.”
“I’m super proud of myself, because it wasn’t easy at all,” she said. “I learned so much about myself and what I need to do to be more successful. My parents, my family, are beyond proud.”
One of the resources that helped her as a first-generation college student was UNCF. “UNCF has been such a transformative place for me to invest my time,” Senwah shared. “I came into college not really understanding how applying for scholarships really worked. There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning.”
“But UNCF was a place where I saw an abundance of opportunities, specifically for students like me who might not have come from the most advantageous economic background,” she continued. “UNCF has literally been life changing and I can’t express it enough. The opportunities that I’ve been provided with have literally been the reason I was able to walk across the stage. The support I’ve gotten from the coordinators and sponsors, every part of the well-oiled machine that UNCF is, I’m so grateful for it.”
Senwah’s younger brothers are heading to college next. “It’s so exciting to see it,” she said. “I’m happy for the legacy that we’re paving.”
UNCF is proud of our students and alumni who have received scholarships that help them continue their education and graduate. These scholarships are invaluable to students, and UNCF is accepting donations to support students like Mikaili Senwah in their academic endeavors.