Incoming medical students don their new white coats
Incoming medical students don their new white coats
Incoming medical students don their new white coats
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford hosted a White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2029 on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
The ceremony recognized 58 first-year medical students, who arrived on campus this week, and the official start of their medical education. Students received the white coats they’ll wear during their journey to become doctors. They also recited an oath as they entered the field of medicine.
“Becoming a physician has been a dream of mine since I was in high school, so this moment marks the start of an incredible journey and the achievement of a goal that I had set years ago for myself, says Brianna Blaine, a first-year medical student, from Amboy, Ill. “My white coat symbolizes the trust that future patients will have in my classmates and I. It stands for a life-long commitment to learning, leading with compassion, and the privilege it is to be able to care for others.”
Arnold Rosen, MD, a clinical professor in the UICOMR Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, presented the keynote address.
Let’s meet the class of 2028:
Nayyer Ahmed
Chicago, Illinois
BS, Chemistry
Benedictine University
Ramsha Akram
Bartlett, Illinois
BS, Biology
University of Illinois Chicago
Ahmad Alamreia
Orland Park, Illinois
BS, Biology
University of Illinois Chicago
Esra Awadallah
Palos Hills, Illinois
BS, Biology
Saint Xavier University
Ayesha Baig
Villa Park, Illinois
BA, Biology
Northwestern University
BA, Anthropology
Northwestern University
Emir Bajric
Longmont, Colorado
BA, Integrative Physiology
University of Colorado Boulder
Daniel Ballarin
Norridge, Illinois
BS, Biomedical Science
Marquette University
Maaz Bashir
Forsyth, Illinois
BS, Molecular and
Cellular Biology (Honors Concentration)
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
MEng, Bioengineering
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Brianna Blaine
Amboy, Illinois
BS, Human Physiology
University of Iowa
Katherine Breger
Waukesha, Wisconsin
BS, Kinesiology
Illinois State University
MA, Medical Science
Loyola University Chicago
Nathan Budde
Altamont, Illinois
BS, Biology
Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville
Samantha Case
Lake Villa, Illinois
BS, Molecular and
Cellular Biology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Aram Chalikyan
Pasadena, California
BS, Biology
California State Polytechnic
University, Pomona
Elizabeth Chavarin
North Riverside, Illinois
BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Nicholas Clevenger
Dixon, Illinois
BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Gabriel DeBenedetto
Rockford, Illinois
BS, Engineering
Endicott College
Emily Drew
Grand Detour, Illinois
BS, Biology-Physiology,
Neuroscience and Behavior
Illinois State University
Jobin Elapumkal
South Elgin, Illinois
BS, Biology
University of Illinois Chicago
Natalie Eng
Park Ridge, Illinois
BS, Neuroscience
Tulane University
Jacob Freed
Reno, Nevada
BS, Neuroscience
University of Nevada, Reno
BS, Applied Mathematics
University of Nevada, Reno
Abbigayle Gamble
Linton, Indiana
BS, Biology
Indiana State University
BS, Science Education
Indiana State University
Ismail Hassan
Lombard, Illinois
BS, Psychology
Loyola University
MS, Biomedical Sciences
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Thomas Huisman
Chatsworth, Illinois
BS, Nursing
Illinois State University
Ammar Khan
Bartlett, Illinois
BS, Biological Sciences
University of Illinois Chicago
Basma Khazal
Chicago, Illinois
BS, Chemistry
University of Illinois Chicago
BA, Psychology
University of Illinois Chicago
MS, Medical Physiology
University of Illinois Chicago
Nawon Kim
Seoul, South Korea
BS, Biology
University of New Mexico
MS, Master of Science in Law
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Wade Kramer
Garden Prairie, Illinois
BS, Biology
Northern Illinois University
SoYoung Kwon
Changwon City, South Korea
BA, Biological Science and Psychology
Cornell University
MS, Biomedical
Visualization
University of Illinois Chicago
Ryan Lawson
Crystal Lake, Illinois
BS, Public Health
University of Michigan
Matthew Lawton
Morris, Illinois
BA, Biology
Coe College
BA, Neuroscience
Coe College
Justin Lee
Chicago, Illinois
BS, Chemistry
Boston College
Matthew Lehr
Highland, Illinois
BA, Biology and Chemistry
Greenville University
Raymond Lesus II
Elmhurst, Illinois
BA, Biological Sciences
Northwestern University
MA, Medical Sciences
Loyola University Chicago
Parish Mejdrich
Mattoon, Illinois
BS, Biological Sciences
Eastern Illinois University
Grace Miller
Colona, Illinois
BS, Chemistry
University of Tennessee
Syed Ilyas Munzir
South Barrington, Illinois
BS, Biological Sciences
University of Illinois Chicago
Minh Nguyen
Mount Vernon, Illinois
BS, Bioengineering
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Aaron Panduro
Corcoran, California
BS, Biochemistry
California State
University, Fresno
Kate Prakharenka
Centralia, Illinois
BA, Biology
Greenville University
Raneem Qassem
Burr Ridge, Illinois
BS, Neuroscience
DePaul University
Berk Rasheed
London, Canada
BS, Neuroscience
Western University
MS, Anatomy and Cell Biology
Western University
Walter Reter
Sterling, Illinois
BA, Biochemistry
Vanderbilt University
BA, Classical and Mediterranean Studies
Vanderbilt University
Isabella Rohrig
Normal, Illinois
BS, Biochemistry
Illinois State University
Benjamin Ross
Marshall, Illinois
BS, Biology
Illinois State University
Nya Sabye
New Johnsonville, Tennessee
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Belmont University
Jacob Schirz
Oglesby, Illinois
BS, Biology
University of Notre Dame
Clayton Sims
Louisville, Illinois
BS, Biological Sciences
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Angelica Smialek
Chicago, Illinois
BS, Biology
Utah State University
Jada Smith
Mount Carmel, Illinois
BS, Biology
University of Southern Indiana
Olivia Smothers
Aviston, Illinois
BS, Biology
Maryville University
Yanni Spatharakis
Lemont, Illinois
BS, Biological Sciences
University of Illinois Chicago
Abhiram Thati
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
BS, Neuroscience
Loyola University Chicago
Anika Tomlinson
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
BA, Molecular, Cellular and Development in Biology
University of Colorado
Taylor Wight
Oneida, Illinois
BS, Food Science
Purdue University
Yosan Worota
Chicago, Illinois
BA, Biology (Biochemistry Emphasis)
Macalester College
Ahmad Yassine
Saint Charles, Illinois
BS, Community Health
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Nathan Yoon
Schaumburg, Illinois
BS, Psychology
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Jiaqing Zhu
Lombard, Illinois
BS, Nursing
Marquette University