From overcoming cancer to tagging sea turtles, these new doctors and a veterinarian reflect on how an Empower Scholarship helped them finish what they started.
For three of the most recent graduates from Adtalem Global Education’s medical and veterinary schools—American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM)—the journey to earning their respective degrees was made possible in part thanks to the Empower Scholarship.
We caught up with them at their 2025 commencement ceremonies as they reflected on the path that brought them there.
Since 2016, the Empower Scholarship Fund has offered over 3,000 scholarships totaling more than $5.7 million.
Cliff Davis, MD ’25
Four months from completing his first attempt at a medical degree, Dr. Davis was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Years of treatment, recovery and detours followed.
He returned to medical school at AUC, where he says the community took a chance on him. “AUC gave me a second chance. They helped me put my life back on track after being completely derailed for so long.”
Receiving the Empower Scholarship during that second-chance journey meant everything. “Having someone else believe in my journey was emotionally uplifting,” he says. “And financially, that support made it possible for me to be successful my second time around.”
Davis is now cancer-free and beginning a surgical residency at Central Michigan University. “Finishing what I started means the absolute world to me,” he says. “It brings meaning to all of the suffering that I’ve endured.”
Liam Kitson, DVM ’25
Pursuing a veterinary career at RUSVM runs in the Kitson family—his aunt and uncle met while they were RUSVM students. The familial connections sparked his interest early, and working in their clinic inspired his own path.
At RUSVM, Dr. Kitson immersed himself fully, joining the Sea Turtle Monitoring Network where he helped introduce new tagging methods to reduce trauma for turtles, diving weekly in the island’s coral reefs, and conducting dual-degree research that led to publication before graduation.
The Empower Scholarship allowed him to focus more on his studies and hands-on experience in St. Kitts. “It increased my quality of life,” he says. “I didn’t have to worry so much about groceries or bills.”
Dr. Kitson will begin a rotating small animal internship at Guardian Veterinary Specialists in his home state of New York.
Zac Petrucci, MD ’25
For Dr. Petrucci, becoming a physician was the natural evolution of years spent volunteering, scribing and supporting family members with chronic conditions.
He’ll begin an internal medicine residency at Overlook Hospital in New Jersey, about 45 minutes from his family and the community that shaped him.
Petrucci says the Empower Scholarship did more than just ease financial pressure.
“Being honored with that scholarship showed that they recognized the hard work I was putting in,” he says. “It goes a really long way.”
For more information, email the Adtalem Global Communications Team: adtalemmedia@adtalem.com.
