Caroline Kelley, a third-year medical student at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, was awarded the inaugural Chloe Vaught Memorial Scholarship.
Vaught was a third-year medical student at NYITCOM at A-State when she died tragically on Sept. 29, 2020, at the age of 24. She was on track to earn her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in 2022. The Chloe Vaught Memorial Scholarship was developed by community members who sought to honor and remember Vaught as an important member of the NYITCOM community.
“We tell our medical students all the time that to be a truly great physician, you must possess the traits of strength, love, perseverance, and empathy,” said Shane Speights, DO, dean of NYITCOM at A-State.. “Many students don’t come to us with those necessary skills, but Chloe did. She was a master of those skills when she arrived here. She served as a model of what a truly great physician is at its core. She was the model of what we expect. I think the best way to honor Chloe is to live our lives with the same resiliency, determination, vigor and love for others that she did. I’ve presented that challenge to each of our student doctors, but it’s particularly relevant to Student Doctor Kelley as we recognize her today.”
Kelley, a Walnut Ridge native who completed her undergraduate degree at Arkansas State University, was selected in recognition of her outstanding academic performance and service to her community and to the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Vaught was also an Arkansas native (Morrilton) and A-State alumnus. Kelley is a leader in the NYITCOM at A-State Student Government Association and several registered student organizations, activities that were also important to Vaught.
Kelley and Vaught were classmates at both A-State and NYITCOM, although Vaught started medical school a year before Kelley. Kelley spoke of her gratitude for the way Vaught helped her through the arduous process of applying for and preparing for medical school.
“I spent many days in undergrad in class and studying in the library with Chloe,” Kelley said. “I’m not sure I would have passed freshman level botany our senior year if Chloe wasn’t in my class. She downplayed it, but she was always on the ball despite playing softball, attending honors event, and having such good relationships with friends and family. The heartbreak we all felt last year will never leave us, but neither will Chloe’s impact. I am so grateful that her sweet spirit is remembered in this gift, and I will do my best to represent the type of person and physician that this scholarship honors.”
Pictured at the presentation of the scholarship are, left to right, Amanda Deel, MD, NYITCOM at A-State assoc. dean of academic affairs; Chris and Tonya Vaught; Sloane, Caroline, and Terry Kelley; Janel and Myron Tilley; and Shane Speights, MD, dean of NYITCOM at A-State.