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Cosby Award Scholars – 2025
Five Juniors, Five Paths, One Midland Spirit
Each year, the Cosby Award gives Midland juniors the chance to design a summer learning experience that stretches them beyond campus. Funded by an endowment from alumnus and former trustee Jon Cosby ’63, the award (up to $4,000) supports projects, programs, and internships that help students explore possible majors and career paths through real-world, hands-on work.
Earlier this month, the 2025 Cosby Award winners – Veronica ’26, Sascha ’26, Guillermo ’26, Shae ’26, and Kathy ’26 – shared their experiences with the Midland community in the library. Their stories were full of curiosity, courage, and the kind of growth that only comes from stepping into something new.
Veronica ’26 – Medicine & Global Health in Kenya
Program: Interning with International Medical Aid
Veronica spent part of her summer in Kenyan hospitals and clinics, shadowing doctors and learning how care is delivered in a very different setting from the U.S.
“I’ll never forget seeing live surgeries, holding babies in the Newborn Unit, and spending time with kids from local schools. It changed the way I view healthcare in both the U.S. and in developing countries.”
In a cohort made up almost entirely of college students, Veronica was one of the youngest in the room. Instead of shrinking from it, she rose to meet the challenge – and discovered a clearer sense of her path toward medicine.
Sascha ’26 – Fashion Careers & Craft at ESMOD in Paris
Program: Studying fashion & interning with a designer
In Paris, Sascha split time between classes at ESMOD and working in a designer’s studio, where he saw the fashion world up close.
“Thursdays I was in the studio, cutting patterns and helping make real clothes with the interns. That was the part I’ll never forget.”
The experience helped Sascha discover which side of the industry truly fits:
“We did both creative and business work, and I learned I don’t want fashion business – I want the creative side. It helped me realize I’d like to major in art.”
Guillermo ’26 – Sea Turtle Research in Guatemala
Program: Sea turtle research with Global Nomadic
Guillermo headed to the coast of Guatemala to support sea turtle conservation – monitoring nesting sites, collecting data, and working alongside local experts to protect endangered species.
His work combined science, fieldwork, and community-based conservation, deepening his understanding of ecology and the realities of environmental work on the ground.
“Being in the field every day made conservation feel real – messy, hopeful, and worth fighting for.”
For Guillermo, long days in the field and late nights collecting data revealed something unexpected: that meaningful work often lives at the intersection of patience, purpose, and deep respect for the natural world.
Kathy ’26 – Inspirit AI 1:1 Mentorship – e-Nable Project
Program: Building a prosthetic hand for girl in Uganda
Through a 1:1 biomedical engineering mentorship with Inspirit AI, Kathy designed and built a functional 3D-printed prosthetic hand for a young girl in Uganda.
The process stretched her in new ways – from reaching out to college professors and disability-support organizations, to writing a formal research paper under the guidance of her MIT mentor. She discovered how much she values both the technical challenge and the human impact of this work.
“I learned so much more about disability communities and their struggles. It really broadened my horizons. After this program, I am truly set on going into biomedical engineering in college.”
Shae ’26 – Botanical Breakthroughs & Healing Plants
Program: Botanical Breakthroughs at UMass Amherst
With a childhood shaped by alternative medicine and herbal remedies, Shae chose a program that blended plant science, wellness, and lab work.
“I wanted something that combined medicinal uses of plants with the medical field. Seeing all the different species in the greenhouses was amazing.”
A visit to a teaching garden on campus felt surprisingly familiar:
“They had this garden right outside the kitchen where they sourced food for the dining hall. It reminded me so much of Midland – it felt like home.”
The biggest realization? How she wants to care for people.
“I learned I’m not a lab person. I’m a social person – I want to be a nurse, working with people, moving around, helping directly.”
Why the Cosby Award Matters
The Cosby Award exists because one alumnus believed that juniors should be trusted to design big, brave learning experiences – and that those experiences would ripple out into the Midland community when students return.
From sea turtle research in Guatemala to hospital wards in Kenya, from botanical labs to Paris design studios, this year’s recipients came back with clearer goals, deeper resilience, and a stronger sense of who they are and how they want to contribute.
It’s a living example of Midland’s ethos: give students real responsibility, real work, and real trust – and they will rise.
Written by Admissions Associate Jasmine Fullman
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