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SIU Medicine welcomes Class of 2023 with White Coat Ceremony
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CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS – Seventy-six medical students from the Class of 2023 have begun their academic medical training at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale. The students participated in a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, August 16, in Shryock Auditorium.
(Editor’s note: See list below for a list of students from your hometown.)
SIU Medicine Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, and Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions Erik Constance, MD, welcomed the students. Wendi El-Amin, MD, associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion, and Elizabeth Cavanagh, MD, Class of 1998 and president of the school’s Alumni Society Board of Governors, presented them with white coats on behalf of the Alumni Society.
Debra Klamen, MD, MHPE, senior associate dean for education and curriculum and chair of the Department of Medical Education at SIU Medicine, also welcomed the students and led them in reading the Physician’s Pledge.
SIU Medicine Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Vidhya Prakash, MD, presented the keynote address. Prakash received the school’s 2018 Humanism in Medicine Award.
The White Coat Ceremony is designed to establish a commitment to professionalism and empathy in medicine and is held at most US medical schools each fall.
Established in 1970, SIU School of Medicine is based in Springfield and Carbondale and focused on the health care needs of downstate Illinois. It educates physicians to practice in Illinois communities and has graduated more than 2,900 physicians since the first class in 1975.
Class of 2023 students by regions, with parents and hometowns
Central:
Alikem Miriam Agamah, daughter of Dr. Edem and June Agamah of Springfield
Claude Andres, son of Corky and Kelly Joyner of Springfield
Taylor Badger, daughter of Michael and Kathy Badger of Springfield
Danah Bakir, daughter of Dr. M. Haitham and Manar Bakir of Springfield
Madison Bandler, daughter of Ronald and Laura Bandler of Mount Zion
Christopher Callahan, son of Patrick and Barbara Callahan of Carlinville
Austin Carey, son of Kevin and Paula Carey of Mt. Auburn and spouse of Carrie Carey
Suchana Chaulagain, daughter of Nawaraj and Mina Chaulagain of Normal
Ehitare Emuze, daughter of Lucky and Bukola Emuze of Springfield
Jacob Farris, son of Jared and Raeana Farris of Springfield
Emilee Gibson, daughter of Mark and Kathy Gibson of Bloomington
Michael Gleason, son of Chris and Susan Gleason of Springfield
J Daniel Gumayan, son of Cesar and Marian Gumayan of Peoria
Jacob Hanes, son of William Hanes and Sheryl Harris, both of Mount Zion
Eric Kong, son of Feiteng Su and Deqi Kong of Champaign
John Kunzeman, son of John and Karla Kunzeman of Springfield
Sarah Leaf, daughter of Mike and Tami Genin of Springfield and spouse of Jordan Leaf
Matthew Mosley, son of Robert and Katherine Mosley of Springfield and spouse of Rachel Bultas
Samuel Mounce, son of Daniel and Diane Mounce of Spaulding
Rebekah Nulty, daughter of W. Greg and Christina Nulty of Washington
Mirena Pebley, daughter of Kenneth and Patti Loveless of Gillespie
Hevin Poon, son of Hau Hing Poon and Fung Ching Cheng of Dunlap
Caleb Rumple, son of Ron and Renee Rumple of Pekin
Laryn Sapetti, daughter of Larry Sapetti and Julie Sapetti, both of Rochester
Ashley Schneider, daughter of Byron and Patricia Schneider of Nokomis
Sydney Schwegel, daughter of Steve Schwegel and Gina Schwegel, both of Bunker Hill, and spouse of Adam Brewer
Kennedy Sheedy, daughter of Michael and Gloria Sheedy of Springfield
Sephra Urbas, daughter of John Urbas of Springfield and Sheila and Larry Sims of Sherman
Danel Voorhees, daughter of Jay Voorhees of Dunlap and Carol Voorhees of Peoria
Niyant Vora, son of Shrenik and Anughna Vora of Bloomington
Connor Vorreyer, son of Joe Vorreyer and Jennifer Vorreyer, both of Springfield
Ryan Wiegand, son of Tom Wiegand and Kim Gryl, both of Morton, and spouse of Emily Williams
West Central:
Evan Riggs, son of Daniel and Ginger Riggs of Quincy
East Central:
Joseph Bernard, son of Bernard Chinnapillai and Asha Bernard of Champaign
Robyn Blood, daughter of Robert and Dina Blood of Mattoon
Mary Dickerson, daughter of Barry and Elizabeth Dickerson of Champaign
Allison Hofer, daughter of Darrin and Nancy Hofer of Loda
Carly Hofreiter, daughter of Paul Hofreiter and Gayle Perryman, both of Dalton City
Lexi Kremer, daughter of Doug and Marlene Kremer of Mattoon
Rebecca Lewis, daughter of Ronald and Susan Lewis of Danville
Katelyn Stoker, daughter of Cliff and Kristy Stoker of Philo and spouse of Geoff Miller
Cagla Unal, daughter of Mesut and Nurhayat Unal of East Savoy
Kaitie Wildman, daughter of Mike and Cassi Wildman of Atwood
Northern:
Jeffrey Baker, son of Lee and Juli Baker of Granville
Greater Chicago:
Ademola Adeoshun, son of Abby Adeoshun and Funke Adeoshun of Chicago
Jordan Goodrich, son of Justin and Rita Goodrich of Huntley
Joseph Lesus, son of Joseph Lesus Sr. of Naperville and Tania Lesus of Elmhurst
Janet Martin, daughter of Charles Martin and Bridgett Collier-Martin of Orland Park
Darrow Traylor, son of Darrow Traylor and Lawanda Long of Dolton
Matthew Woodbury, son of John and Wendy Woodbury of Oswego and spouse of Megan Sieg
Belleville/Metro East:
Joshua Crum, son of Andy and Julie Crum of Fairview Heights and spouse of Lexi Donnel
Ashley Gagen, daughter of Timothy and Diahann Gagen of Belleville
Ben Harsin, son of Ken and Diane Harsin of Belleville
Danielle Hawthorne, daughter of Jim and Joni Hawthorne of Belleville
Danny Holtz, son of Rob and Beth Holtz of Godfrey
Todd Johnson, son of David and Lisa Johnson of Belleville
Aaron Mattix-Wand, son of Gerard and Paula Mattix-Wand of Bethalto
Hannah O’Neill, daughter of David and Lynn O’Neill of Smithton
Austin Sinn, son of Jeffrey and Tammy Sinn of Marissa
Jill Thiede, daughter of Tom Thiede of Edwardsville and John and Patty Navin of Bluffton, Ohio
Stephanie Wooten, daughter of Steve and Romona Wooten of East Saint Louis
Southern:
Morgan Keyser, daughter of Brad and Leigh Ann Keyser of Marion
Brooke Koebele, daughter of Ronald and Karla Koebele of Wheeler
Hannah Logsdon, daughter of Jackson Logsdon and Susie Scates, both of Shawneetown
Ryan Luce, son of Dylan and Bonnie Luce of Harrisburg and spouse of Tori Luce
Gabriella Tison, daughter of Michael and Gloria Tison of Harrisburg
Stephen Troop, son of Michael and Debra Troop of Marion
Out of State:
Kamawak Anota, son of Seifemichael Anota and Hangatu Nure of St. Paul, Minnesota, and spouse of Edatu Bakuto
Kamaria Coleman, daughter of Gregory and Valerie Coleman of Memphis, Tennessee
Catherine Greene, daughter of Beatrice Greene of Houston, Texas
Raquel Ibarra of Middletown, Connecticut
Raquel Johnson, daughter of Bertram Johnson of Gardena, Calif., and Gemma Marcelin-Hall of Inglewood, California
Stacey Joseph, daughter of Carl and Rose-mai Joseph of Deltona, Florida
Keaboka Nyumbu, daughter of Tunta Lungu and Inonge Nyumbu of Charlestown, Massachusetts
Kimberly Woudenberg, daughter of Larry and Ren Lybbert of Gallup, New Mexico
