On May 28, 2026, the Joan C. Edwards Foundation hosted a gathering of Edwards Scholars for a workshop focused on shared experiences in their educational and career journeys.  The workshop was aimed at cataloging these experiences to help prepare future scholars for the challenges and opportunities they’ll encounter in college, medical school, and throughout their careers.

“Most of our scholars are or will be the first in their families to attend medical school,” said Brian McDonald, Executive Director of the JCECF.  “This community of scholars is a valuable source of knowledge to navigate the rigors of college and medical school.  This workshop was a chance for us to do a deeper dive into those experiences with the aim of helping future students with similar backgrounds navigate a fulfilling pathway to a medical career.”   

Hosted at the Cleveland Clinic / CWRU  Health Education Campus, the gathering brought together scholars from recent high school graduates to medical school students to practicing physicians providing a unique opportunity for mentorship, peership, and information sharing. Since 2012, the JCECF has awarded Edwards Scholarships providing a unique, long-term perspective on the journey from high school to medical school to a career in medicine. 

About the Edwards Scholarship

The Joan C. Edwards Scholarship was created to encourage a pipeline of talented students from the public school system into the robust medical community of Cleveland. Each year, qualifying graduates of Cleveland Metropolitan School District are eligible to be selected as an Edwards Scholar.

Defining qualities of the Edwards Scholar are a genuine passion for the medical field, a commitment to academics and a connection to the surrounding community. The scholarship award covers tuition, room, board and other expenses of attendance during the course of the recipient’s undergraduate career at Case Western Reserve University, as well as their four years at the Case School of Medicine.

Learn more at www.jcecf.org.