Student Stories: Malcolm Jolley
Undergrad Dreams of Practicing Medicine, Bringing Medical Information to Black Communities
UNCF is proud of current students and alumni who have received scholarships that help them continue their education and graduate from university. These scholarships are invaluable to students. We are always accepting donations to support students like Malcolm Jolley in their academic endeavors. Donate today, and read on to learn about one scholar’s journey.
Malcolm Jolley, a rising sophomore at Morehouse College, one of UNCF’s member HBCUs, received the Foot Locker Foundation, Inc.-UNCF Scholarship. The scholarship offered financial assistance to undergraduates attending a UNCF-member college or university during the 2022-2023 school year with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
“I was super grateful when I received that scholarship,” Jolley said. “As of last semester, I was able to successfully pay off all the loans I had for that year. I can go into this year fresh and get more scholarships or try to pay for this year.”
“That helped because I was able to put my mind off of completing the funds that I needed to finish freshman year,” he continued. “I could be successful in my classes and worry about other events rather than funds.”
Jolley, a biology major on the pre-medical track, plans to attend medical school after graduating from Morehouse. He is a member of the STEM Identity and Black Male Achievement Program (SIBMAP), a scholarship program at the college. Through the program, Dr. Wallace Sharif shares opportunities available to students, encourages them to find internships and provides advice about preparing for and succeeding in medical school.
Jolley is also a freshman liaison for the Morehouse Biology Club. He helps coordinate events where visiting doctors and other medical professionals come to Morehouse to speak to students and upperclassmen mentor underclassmen.
“I know there’s many other Black students like me trying to get into medical school,” Jolley said. “If I do make it into medical school successfully, I would like to give back to the community. Perhaps through programs to bring broader medical information into the Black community and to strengthen trust in the medical system. I’ve had experiences where Black people don’t trust the medical system, so if I could do that, I would.”
He is currently pursuing internships to give him a better understanding of various disciplines in the medical field. Jolley expressed interest in gastroenterology, dermatology, cardiology and more.
Recently, he shadowed a gastroenterologist and “could see myself possibly doing that,” he said.
“I’m trying to do more internships to narrow what I want to do in medicine,” Jolley explained. “There are so many fields in medicine. I want to be in the environment as much as possible.”
Have a good news story of your own? Share your UNCF story with us.