Mr. Morse with Morse Scholars
Overview The Morse Scholars program supports Pre-Health students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences who demonstrate tremendous academic and professional potential at the beginning of their collegiate career.
Purpose
The purpose of the Morse Scholar program is to provide promising Pre-Health students opportunities for academic support and experiential learning to prepare them for their professional life after college. Starting in the Fall of Freshman year, students are assigned a faculty mentor and as they move through UF, they receive funding to support professional experiences, access to excursions, service-learning opportunities, and resources for professional school preparation. Through this program, students cultivate depth of knowledge in diverse contexts and learn how to meaningfully apply this knowledge in the field of healthcare.
Benefits of being a Morse Scholar
- Assigned a Beyond120 faculty Pre-Health advisor to meet with semesterly and as-needed
- Development of a four-year plan for coursework, experiences, and service
- Participation in Beyond120 Pre-Health academic courses
- Priority to all Beyond120 academic and experiential resources and activities
- Guaranteed participation in the Pre-Health Scholars program
- Guaranteed participation in the Pre-Health Scholars Service Groups
- Connection with professional mentors via Gator Network
- Leadership as a Morse Scholar Mentor
- Funding and preference for Beyond120 excursions, internships, research, and study abroad
Criteria for selection of Morse Scholars
- Academic Major in the College of Liberal Arts & Science
- High School GPA – 4.0 weighted; 3.5 unweighted – consideration to lower GPAs on case by case basis
- Summer B GPA – UF GPA 3.3 minimum Will consider lower on case by case basis
- ALEKS score – 75%+ – place into MAC1147 Will consider MAC1140/MAC1114 on case by case basis
- Volunteer experiences and/or employment completed in high school demonstrating service to others
- Two letters of recommendation high school teacher, UF summer B instructor/advisor, character – employer, shadow, etc.
The 2025 Morse Scholars application will open May 2025.
For more information, contact Bobbi Knickerbocker at rknicker@advising.ufl.edu. You can also book and manage appointments.
2024 Morse Scholars
Hannah Alley
Hannah AlleyMy name is Hannah Alley, and I am from Daytona Beach, Florida. I graduated from Seabreeze High School with my AICE Diploma and my AP Capstone Diploma. I am currently majoring in Biochemistry and Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track. I want to be either an OBGYN with an MD-PhD or a neonatologist physician-scientist specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and shows with my friends and family and being able to travel.
Ioannis Michalakelis
Ioannis MichalakelisMy name is Ioannis Michalakelis, and I’m from Samos, Greece. I graduated from West Boca Raton high school. I’m majoring in Biology on a pre-dental track, and I aspire to be an orthodontist with the dream of opening my own practice. In my free time I enjoy drawing characters from movies, going to the gym and watching shows.
Allison Perez
Allison PerezMy name is Allison Perez and I’m from Miami, FL. I recently graduated from Hialeah Gardens High School and I am now a first year student here majoring in Psychology Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience on a pre-med track. I’m hoping to become a psychiatrist or maybe a pediatrician! Besides being interested in the medical field, I also love to dance, sing, read, watch movies, and hangout with my friends. I’m so excited for my next four years at UF!
Nevaeh Stohl
Nevaeh StohlHello! My name is Nevaeh Stohl and I’m from Ocala Florida and I’m attending UF as a biochemistry major. I have hopes of attending medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon. Two of my main goals while attending UF is to get involved with research and inclusivity initiatives. I can’t wait for what the next four years have in store!
2023 Morse Scholars
Desiny Barlow
Desiny BarlowMy name is Desiny Barlow, and I am from Ocala, Florida. I graduated from West Port High School while dual enrolled and receiving my Associates of Arts degree from the College of Central Florida. I am majoring in Behavioral and Cognitive neuroscience on a pre-med track, and I aspire to become a neurosurgeon. In my free time I enjoy writing poetry, listening to music, and journaling.
Jacob Maytin
Jacob MaytinMy name is Jacob Maytin and I am from Miami, Florida where I graduated from Coral Reef Senior High School. I am currently a freshman at the University of Florida pursuing a major in pre-professional biology on a pre-med track. With this major I hope to attend medical school to follow my passion in becoming a neurologist or anesthesiologist. My hobbies include playing sports with friends, watching drama-filled shows and movies, and hanging out with friends and family. So excited for my next four years here at UF!
Rosey Nguyen
Rosey NguyenMy name is Rosey Nguyen and I am from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I graduated from Charles W. Flanagan High School. I am currently a first-gen freshman at the University of Florida, majoring in pre-professional biology on the pre-med track, hoping to one day specialize in dermatology. That aside, my interests include reading, drawing, word games, and really just enjoying a good laugh with my friends and family.
Ava Wilke
Ava WilkeMy name is Ava Wilke. I graduated from Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida. I’m now in my first year at the University of Florida, majoring in pre-professional biology on the pre-med track. Alongside my major, I’m actively pursuing minors in pathogenesis and anthropology. My ultimate goal is to attend medical school and embark on a career either in forensic pathology or orthopedic surgery. Beyond academics, I enjoy playing volleyball, watching movies, reading, and spending quality time with friends. Go Gators!
Daniella Zamora
Daniella ZamoraMy name is Daniella Zamora and I’m a first-generation student coming to UF from Miami, Florida. I’m majoring in Microbiology and Cell science on the pre-med track as I am aspiring to become a dermatologist. Outside of class I enjoy serving my community, trying new things, and going out with my friends. I am so thrilled to spend these next four years at UF!.
2022 Morse Scholars
Ameerah Balogun
Ameerah BalogunMy name is Ameerah Balogun, and I am from Miami, Florida where I graduated from the School for Advanced Studies. I am a part of the Class of 2026 at the University of Florida as a Biology major on a pre-med track. I am pursuing medicine to fulfill my aspiration of becoming a Pediatric Oncologist. My passions outside of science are writing and public speaking and I hope to incorporate them into my future career and experience as a student. A fun fact about me is that I am in love with the sport volleyball, and I am always compelled to play whenever I spot a volleyball net. I am looking forward to working towards my goals as a pre-med student and I aim to learn and grow during my time as a Morse Scholar.
Priyanka Harrypersad
Priyanka HarrypersadMy name is Priyanka Harrypersad, and I am 18 years old from Orlando, Florida. I am majoring in women’s studies on the pre-med track and either want to become a neurosurgeon or OBGYN. I love cooking food and watching Kdramas. I am so excited to be here at UF!
2021 Morse Scholars
Janae Hodge
Janae HodgeI am Janae Hodge, a graduate from Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Florida. I am a chemistry and zoology major at the University of Florida, class of 2025. I am on the pre-med track with aspirations of a career in anesthesiology.
Malana Jackson
Malana JacksonMy name is Malana Jackson, and I am an 18-year-old from Daytona Beach, FL. I am an incoming freshman majoring in Chemistry on the premedical track. I recently graduated from Mainland High School 3rd in my class and received my Associate of Arts degree with honors. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I plan to go to medical school to become a pediatrician. I enjoy reading new books, music, and baking tasty treats.
Emory Ranes
Emory RanesMy name is Emory Ranes, and my Inupiaq name is Yiyuk. I am from Anchorage, Alaska and my family is from Kotzebue, Alaska. I am wearing my traditional regalis: an Atikluk. I came to Florida because I believed I would have better opportunities to pursue my passion for medicine.
Manaal Zulfiqar
Manaal ZulfiqarMy name is Manaal Zulfiqar. I am a freshman at the University of Florida and planning to major in Microbiology and Cell science. I’m pre-health and want to pursue dentistry in the future. In my free time I like to read, swim, and cook. A couple strengths I have gained over time through education and life experiences are resilience and compassion. My greatest accomplishment to date is my volunteer experience at the radiology department at AdventHealth Hospital which has inspired and motivated me to stay focused on my pre-health aspirations.