(VICTORVILLE, Calif ) – Sixty-nine local students recently gathered through a virtual
ceremony, via Zoom, to celebrate their accomplishment of receiving a scholarship from the
Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation.
The Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation was founded by Dr. Prem Reddy,
Prime Healthcare Chairman, President, and CEO, and his family in 1994. Since then, the
foundation, in addition to other philanthropic endeavors, has awarded
over $1.2 million in academic scholarships. The program is available to
all high school and college students living in the High Desert and Inland
Empire of Southern California pursuing a career in healthcare.
Among the list of well-deserving applicants this year, Nabil Assal was
the scholarship recipient keynote speaker. An immigrant from Morocco,
Nabil, grew up in poverty with no electricity or running water. As a small
child, his job was to take a wheelbarrow full of buckets to the town tap
to fill them with water. Nabil has faced and overcome many challenges
in his life through persistence and determination. He moved to the United
States, where he attended a community college, and in 2018 Nabil was accepted
to UC Riverside, where he will graduate with a B.S degree in Neuroscience.
Ultimately, Nabil would like to be a neurosurgeon and volunteer with organizations
such as Doctors Without Borders. “I am an example of someone who
was never expected to amount to anything, but through hard work, I am
the first person in my family to go to college,” said Nabil.
During the virtual ceremony Sunitha Reddy, daughter of Drs. Prem and Venkamma
Reddy and a director of the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation noted that
all backgrounds and experiences of the recipients were unique. “There
is a common thread that should be celebrated; a relentless commitment
to healthcare and a sincere desire to help others. In the midst of this
unprecedented global pandemic, healthcare workers are on the front line
selflessly caring for patients all around the world,” said Reddy.
“Those receiving awards have a passion to put others before themselves
and a sincere desire to make lives better.” Reddy, who also serves
as Vice President of Operations for Prime Healthcare, had the opportunity
to review every applicant’s personal story and added she was honored
to support their dreams and future in medicine.
During the virtual ceremony, keynote speakers included Dr. Venkamma Reddy,
co-founder of the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation, and Fred Hunter, CEO
of Desert Valley Hospital and Desert Valley Medical Group. Honorary speakers
included Dr. Paul Lyons, Dean and President of the California University
of Science and Medicine, and Dr. Imran Siddiqui, Medical Director of Desert
Valley Medical Group.
Fred Hunter, CEO of Desert Valley Hospital and Desert Valley Medical Group,
also shared words of encouragement that even though there can always be
obstacles in the way of our dreams, there are ways to overcome them. Mr.
Hunter further emphasized, “This is why the scholarship program
exists.”
For more information about the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation or Desert
Valley Hospital, please contact Eddie Hernandez at EddieHernandez@primehealthcare.com.
About Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation
The Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation has donated millions to charities
supporting healthcare and education- locally, nationally, and globally.
On a local level, millions of dollars have gone towards educational grants,
scholarships, and building libraries. National causes include supporting
free community clinics and causes such as the March of Dimes. On a global
level, the foundation supports organizations such as Samaritan’s
Purse by donating equipment used in clinics across poverty-stricken regions
around the world. The foundation also funds clean water initiatives, childhood
vaccinations programs, educational grants, new medical clinics, and medical
missions to treat blindness with free cataract removal surgeries or pediatric
congenital heart defects.