The Rotary Club of Miami has contributed nearly $1 million in scholarships to support FIU medical students.
The impact of its Thomas B. McClelland (TBM) Scholarship extends across South Florida as the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine grows, educating new physicians to serve the local community.
Thomas McClelland, a horticulturist at the USDA, was a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Miami from 1939 until his passing in 1980. In his will, he established a scholarship fund for Miami-Dade public high school graduates pursuing medical studies. “McClelland believed in the importance of more doctors,” says Rotary Club member Phil Seipp, who manages the TBM Scholarship trust with Diane Landsberg. Since 2009, the Rotary Club of Miami has awarded this scholarship to FIU students annually.
In its inaugural year, the TBM Scholarship granted a $2,000 award to a single student. This year, 51 FIU medical students received awards totaling $189,000. To date, the college has received approximately $960,000, supporting 293 recipients. “We’ve encountered exceptional individuals at FIU,” notes Seipp. “We’ve forged personal connections with them,” Landsberg adds.
Dr. Rebecca Lyn Toonkel, FIU’s Associate Dean of Curriculum and Medical Education, received the scholarship while studying at Johns Hopkins University in the early 2000s. “I was surprised and deeply grateful,” she reflects. Today, Toonkel is paying it forward by supporting the Rotary Club of Miami financially and advising the college’s Rotaract Student Club.
FIU med student Joey Luzarraga says the TBM Scholarship is critical to alleviate the financial burden on his family. “My sister is about to finish her undergraduate degree, and I know my parents continue to make countless sacrifices for us both. This award enables me to better support myself without accumulating further debt.”
In addition to their scholarships, recipients receive a TBM pin for their white coats, a proud symbol of their achievement and dedication.
