Medical students receive white coats during annual ceremony

M1 students
White Coat

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford hosted a White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2028 on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.

The ceremony recognized 57 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.

James Girardy, MD, a clinical professor in the UICOMR Department of Surgery and Surgical Specialties, presented the keynote address.

Let’s meet the class of 2028:

 

Abdel-Muhsen Al-Kodmany

Hickory Hills, Illinois

BS, Biology

University of Illinois Chicago

 

Brian Allen

Grand Ridge, Illinois

BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Yaa Asante

Silver Spring, Maryland

BA, Psychology

University of Chicago

 

Andrew Baeder

Hampshire, Illinois

BS, Biology

Lewis University

 

Kylie Besz

Vandling, Pennsylvania

BA, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

MS, Tufts University-School of Medicine

 

Teodora Bozic

Bartlett, Illinois

BS, Psychology: Cognitive Neuroscience

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Nick Cheney

Charleston, Illinois

BS, Biological Sciences

Eastern Illinois University

 

Laura Chicos

River Forest, Illinois

BS, Electrical Engineering

Johns Hopkins University

MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

Mia Connor

Herrin, Illinois

BS, Chemistry

University of Missouri-Columbia

 

Sydney Jean Dix

Hardin County/Herrin, Illinois

BS, Biological Sciences

Southern Illinois University

 

Abbey Dotson

Atlanta, Georgia

BS, Biology

Roosevelt University

 

Hunter Eide

Gettysburg, South Dakota

BS, Human Biology

South Dakota State University

 

Katherine Elbert

Forrest, Illinois

BS, Biological Sciences

Cornell University

 

Abbigayle Gamble

Linton, Indiana

BS, Biology; Education

Indiana State University

 

Adam Geibel

Evanston, Illinois

BA, Neuroscience and Behavior; Psychology

Wesleyan University

 

Hattie Gibson

St. Charles, Illinois

BA, Biology, Society, and the Environment

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Kylie Graves

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

BA, Neuroscience

Boston University

 

Rebecca Hess

Aledo, Illinois

BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Emily Homman

Leaf River, Illinois

BS, Biology

Trinity Christian College

 

James Jin

Glenview, Illinois

BA, Biochemistry

Washington University in St. Louis

MA, Washington University in St. Louis

 

Georgia Kapetaneas

Utica, Illinois

BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Navdeep Kaur

Saginaw, Michigan

BS, Biology, Health and Society

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor-Residential College

MS, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

 

Hunter Kienast

La Harpe, Illinois

BS, Biology

University of Illinois Springfield

 

Nawon Kim

Seoul, Republic of Korea

BS, Biology

University of New Mexico

MS, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

 

Jack Kramer

Highland Park, Illinois

BA, Economics

University of California, Berkeley

 

Raegan Krumboltz

Beardstown, Illinois

BS, Health Promotion

University of Iowa

 

Sofiya Lougin

Glencoe, Illinois

BS, Biochemistry

Loyola University Chicago

 

Keith MacGregor

Naperville, Illinois

BS, Behavioral Neuroscience Psychology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Madeleine Meehan

Brookfield, Illinois

BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Haider Mian

Lincolnwood, Illinois

BS, Biological Sciences

University of Illinois Chicago

 

Lauren Mitchell

Park Ridge, Illinois

BS, Biology; Community Health

Tufts University

 

Kiyo Obayashi

Ogden, Utah

BS, Biology

The University of Utah

 

Sydney Olszewski

Cincinnati, Ohio

BS, Biology

University of Cincinnati

 

Tayo Omoniyi

Tinley Park, Illinois

BS, Biology

University of Illinois Chicago

 

Dhara Patel

Naperville, Illinois

BS, Neuroscience

University of Pittsburgh

 

Anna Pendergast

Galesburg, Illinois

BA, Biology

St. Olaf College

 

Kristin Ralston

Glenview, Illinois

BS, Neuroscience

Johns Hopkins University

 

Vineeth Rao

Barrington, Illinois

BS, Neuroscience

The Ohio State University

 

Jake Ryan III

Belvidere, Illinois

BS, Public Health

Northern Illinois University

 

Gianna Sagona

Caledonia, Illinois

BS, Biomedical Science

University of Iowa

 

Kira Sampson

Elmhurst, Illinois

BS, Neuroscience

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

 

Frank Schwartz

Belvidere, Illinois

BS, Psychology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Xochitl Sedano

Rolling Meadows, Illinois

BS, Nursing

Dominican University

 

Ambika Sharma

Burr Ridge, Illinois

BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

 

Kelsey Sheehan

Chicago, Illinois

BA, Integrative Physiology

University of Colorado Boulder

 

Luke Spalding

Evanston, Illinois

BS, Civil Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 

Natalie Staton

Charleston, Illinois

BA, Premed and Biochemistry

Augustana College

 

Charlee Stewart

Robinson, Illinois

BS, Physiology

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

 

Jacelyn Street

Newton, Illinois

BS, Physiology

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

 

Rachel Thomas

Charleston, Illinois

BA, Chemistry; Religion

Hope College

 

Joseph Tolentino

Granada Hills, California

BS, Psychobiology

University of California, Los Angeles

 

Gabrielle Wagner

Poplar Grove, Illinois

BS, Biochemistry

Beloit College

 

Cate Wilkinson

Mequon, Wisconsin

BS, Microbiology

University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Amanda Williams

Byron, Illinois

BS, Microbiology

The University of Alabama

 

Mohammed Zahra

Oaklawn, Illinois

BS, Biology

University of Illinois Chicago

 

Zohaib Zubair

Hanover Park, Illinois

BS, Health Science

Benedictine University