Keyara Piri recently drove cross-country from California to Maryland to get settled in for the start of medical school this fall at Johns Hopkins University.

She graduated from Fresno State in May with a biology degree, and now she’s chasing her dream of becoming a doctor. Piri has a heart for community health thanks to her undergraduate experience working with youth and local doctors to promote health education. But she’s keeping her options open as she learns more about what’s out there — there are so many specialties, she said.

This summer, Piri was one of six people nationwide to receive the prestigious Marcus L. Urann Fellowship from Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. The fellowship, named after the society’s founder, provides $20,000 to first-year graduate students pursuing post-baccalaureate degrees across all academic disciplines.

“It was really exciting for me and my family. It’s a lot of money and it’s going to significantly relieve a burden off my shoulders going to medical school,” Piri said. “I’m very honored and very grateful to the people — the professors and staff — because they had a big part in my journey through Fresno State.”

Phi Kappa Phi gives more than $1 million a year to outstanding members and students through study abroad grants, graduate fellowships and other awards and grants. The honor society’s Fresno State chapter nominated Piri. The selection process is based on an applicant’s graduate potential, undergraduate academic achievement, service and leadership experience, letters of recommendation, personal statement of educational perspective and career goals.

“Keyara is an excellent example of a student who has successfully used every available opportunity at Fresno State to gain a complete college experience. In doing so, she has excelled not only in classroom and research settings but also in leadership roles she has held, which includes her service as the student representative in the executive board of the Fresno State Chapter of the Honors Society of Phi Kappa Phi and as the president of the Fresno State Chapter of the American Medical Student Association,” said Dr. Saeed Attar, director of the Smittcamp Family Honors College.

“She is a person of integrity and compassion and treats others with utmost respect. Keyara has truly worked hard to be where she is in her educational journey,” he said. “I have very high regards for what she has accomplished so far, and for the great potential I see in her as a successful health care professional who will serve her future community well, hopefully right here in the Central Valley.”

From University High to Smittcamp Family Honors College

Piri graduated from University High School on the Fresno State campus and was eager to attend a university outside of Fresno, but she decided to attend Fresno State where the opportunities were boundless, she said.

Piri was a President’s Scholar in the Smittcamp Family Honors College. She participated in the federally-funded Research Training Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program, or RISE, which supports research training for students interested in careers as research scientists. Her studies included research on prostate cancer under the mentorship of Dr. Qiao-Hong Chen in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

She also performed over 3,500 hours of volunteering in health care-related areas. One of the highlights of her time at Fresno State was developing KidzMedEd, a yearlong program under the mentorship of Dr. Renee Kinman at UCSF Fresno, that brought students in the Valley together with physicians to create videos and infographics to inform the community about health topics.

Additionally, Piri volunteered with Kesem, an organization on campus that supports children whose parents have cancer and she has spent hours teaching dance to children at the Iranian Culture and Art Club in Fresno.