Scholar Stories

Alumni Scholar Spotlight: From Panic to "Playing Attention" – How Nick Mosca, MS ’02, Is Revolutionizing High-Stress Preparation

Published 10/29/2025 in Alumni Features

Written 10/29/2025

In a recent conversation with Nick Mosca, MS ’02, we asked him to share what a day in the life of an Ivy League college admissions consultant looks like. Nick, a Harvard graduate, former Georgetown Alumni Admissions Representative, 20-year college admissions consulting veteran and mindfulness educator is able to bring together his passions, personal and professional experiences together to his current work.

Two botanists converse: Memory, science, and the Cold War

Published 10/10/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Kathleen Gutierrez | 10/10/2025

On an August morning on the patio of an Italian deli, two retired scientists met with me to talk of the past. Domingo Madulid, a historical botanist of the Philippines, and Hermes Gutierrez, expert on the Philippine Dipterocarpaceae family, have been colleagues since the 1960s. Over hot black coffee, the two detailed their experiences collecting plant specimens, their collaborations with foreign scientists, and their musings on the current state of genetic mapping and systematics.

Milken Scholars at the Grand Opening of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream

Written by Torres, Evelyn | 10/03/2025

After more than a decade in the making, the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) opened its doors to the public on September 20, 2025. MCAAD, a part of the Milken Institute, is a cultural institution dedicated to sharing stories and illuminating pathways to opportunity for all.

Learning and Leadership at the Crossroads of Medicine and Culture in Ghana

Published 09/19/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Elizabeth Abatan | 09/19/2025

This summer, I had the chance to travel to Ghana, a place that felt both familiar and new. With West African parents, I grew up hearing stories and watching movies about the markets and cultures within various communities.

A Journey Through Barga, Italy: Community, Culture & Continuity

Published 09/12/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Mattie Isaac | 09/12/2025

In early July of 2025, my grandmother, mother, and I traveled to visit my mother’s friend in Barga, a small medieval town tucked into the hilly folds of Tuscany and an hour outside of Pisa. After over an hour of jolting twists and turns up a mountain, my family and I trekked further up sleek stone slabs, passing through narrow streets and towering sunset color buildings to make it to our home for the next week.

Milken Scholars’ Summer Internship at the Prostate Cancer Foundation

Published 09/03/2025 in Program Updates

Written 09/03/2025

This summer, four talented Milken Scholars were invited to intern with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing prostate cancer research. The group included Charlry Kamara, MS ‘24, Jun Woo Shin, MS ‘23, Camilla Martinez, MS ‘22, and Katelyn Sulett, MS ‘20. Their activities included analyzing funding applications and developing patient care materials, as they learned how the work of nonprofits impacts medicine, broadening their perspectives on what their future careers in healthcare could entail.

A Review of Malaria Control Efforts in Eritrea

Published 08/20/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Hannah Menghis | 08/20/2025

When I first proposed studying malaria in Eritrea, my goal was to better understand how a country at the northernmost limit of malaria transmission in East Africa could sustain and build upon its progress toward elimination.

Building a Sustainable, Healthy City with Multimodal Urbanism in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Published 08/20/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Ramsay Goyal | 08/20/2025

The street of Buenos Aires are littered with a multimodal canopy of pedestrian, cyclist, bus, and vehicular infrastructure. On the widest street in the city, the 18 lane “Avenida 9 de Julio” street, a center-running bus rapid transit system occupies two lanes in each direction. Although the city maintains a car-dominated landscape, one can feasibly connect neighborhood to neighborhood, suburb to city center, and throughout the entire city without owning or renting a vehicle. Such green urban infrastructure investments support environmental sustainability, improved public health, and inclusive mobility throughout the Buenos Aires metro area.

Ayurveda and Western Medicine in Nepal

Published 08/19/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Riya Singh | 08/19/2025

Nepal is a country rich in cultural and medicinal traditions, marked by deep intersectionality across ways of life, religious practices, and geographical settings. Renowned for its spiritual and cultural depth, Nepal offers a compelling backdrop to examine the intersection of traditional and modern healthcare systems. Among its most enduring medical traditions is Ayurveda, a holistic healing system with roots in the Indian subcontinent that has been deeply embedded in Nepalese healthcare for centuries.

2025 Milken Scholars Summit

Published 08/04/2025 in Program Updates

Written 08/04/2025

Since the Milken Scholars Program’s inception in 1989, Mike and Lori Milken have supported nearly 600 young people, who throughout the years, have risen to the top of their fields toward a flourishing future. What started with 16 Scholars in Harlem, has now grown to encompass a community that represents over 80 countries and more than 200 high schools from Los Angeles County, New York City and Washington, D.C. As of 2014, the Milken Scholars Program became a joint initiative of the Milken Family Foundation and the Milken Institute.

Exploring the Sinosphere and Beyond - Understanding the Tides of Cultural Interchange Through my Travels in East Asia

Published 08/19/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Hansub Kim | 08/19/2025

From March 14 to April 1st, I embarked on a long journey to Korea and China to understand the complex relationship between the two countries from a social and linguistic perspective. Through this trip, I learned an extraordinary amount not only about the historical relationships of these two countries, but how their divergence has spawned some of the most iconic cultural products in the modern day.

Staged Realities and Symbolic Infrastructures: A Visual Reflection on Development and Representation in Southern Morocco

Published 08/19/2025 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Ayan Rahman | 08/19/2025

Towards the end of May, I traveled to Marrakech, and, from there, to the edge of the Zagora Desert on a guided tour offered to tourists from all over the world as a cultural experience -- a curated crossing through kasbahs, ancient caravan routes, and the diverse terrains of southern Morocco. I took my camera with me, but not with the intention of documenting for the sake of documentation. I was more driven by my curiosities about what would emerge visually on this well traveled corridor. What types of spaces would be framed? What experiences would be emphasized as distinctly Moroccan? And, importantly, how would I, as a participant in this tour, be positioned within it all? These were questions I wanted to explore through this one of a kind experience.