Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award
Past Honorees
Established in 2020, the Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award is presented to Thomas Jefferson University students who make a difference through initiative, creativity, and commitment to changing society for the advancement of all.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2022 Erin Avanzato, BS ’22, MPH ’23
Erin Avanzato graduated in 2022 from Thomas Jefferson University East Falls with a major in pre-medicine with a minor in psychology. She is currently a graduate student in the Masters of Public Health program at Thomas Jefferson University, class of 2023, and is applying to medical school and the Navy. Erin hopes to create a safe atmosphere for patients to become the healthiest version of themselves.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2022 Kayla Holston, MPH, SKMC ’23
Kayla Holston graduated from the University of Virginia in 2018, earned a Master of Public Health at Emory University in 2019, and began her journey at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC) the next week. She has served as the President of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and was part of the prestigious Student Leadership Forum led by Dr. Mark Tykocinski. She also completed an internship with the SKMC Physician Executive Leadership Program, working with an interdisciplinary team to develop a novel labor and delivery suite design at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi. Her role was to perform a needs assessment to identify the current privacy concerns of obstetrics professionals and postpartum mothers.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2021 Michele Ganz, JCLS ’21
Michele Ganz is an undergraduate student-athlete in Thomas Jefferson University’s class of 2021. He will begin medical school in December in Italy, his country of origin. Along with the time he invests in and out of the classroom, he is also a soccer player for the Rams. This year, Michele established We Still Alive in association with Marafiki Community International. Named after a phrase Kenyans use to express their survival over adversity, We Still Alive promotes an initiative to help the communities of Maai Mahiu and Maasai Mara, Kenya, by improving access to clean water and preventing waterborne diseases.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2021 Noor Shaik, SKMC ’22
Noor Shaik graduated from Villanova University in 2014 and embarked on her journey as an MD/PhD student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College a few weeks later. After defending her PhD thesis on the role of platelets in stroke-related injury, for which she has been locally and internationally recognized, she volunteered in Dr. Matthias Schnell's laboratory to help with the development of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2020 Michelle Ho, SKMC ’21
Michelle Ho graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and began her journey at Sidney Kimmel Medical College in 2016. She has served as SKMC representative for the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Organization of Student Representatives and was part of the prestigious Student Leadership Forum. She was also program chair for the SKMC Chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association.
Algernon Brashear Jackson Student Award, 2020 Allyson Naiken, JCN ’21
Allyson Naiken is a member of the class of 2021 at Jefferson College of Nursing. She studied healthcare administration and global public health at Arcadia University and spent a summer abroad at the University of Amsterdam. She was a varsity tennis player and an assistant coach who taught students with disabilities the fundamentals of the sport.