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Alum’s Scholarship Fund Helps Further Childhood Dream
 At age six, Leopold Avallone developed rheumatic fever and—during his many trips to the doctor—a fascination with medicine. That interest propelled him through medical school at UCSF and nearly 40 years as a radiation oncologist.
But something else spurred him along, too: scholarships. His father was a typesetter of modest means, and both parents sacrificed to help their son attend UCSF. Avallone worked various jobs to make ends meet. Then he received one of the first UC Regents Scholarships. “It was absolutely instrumental in my life,” he says, enabling him to focus on his education and marry Michelle, his wife of 42 years.
In 2005, Avallone’s UCSF class raised money for student scholarships to honor their 40th reunion. “It struck a nerve,” he recalls. He and Michelle donated more than $126,000 to create the Dr. Leopold T. and Michelle Avallone Scholarship Fund and recently doubled their contribution to the fund. “We wanted to help medical students,” he explains, “just like I was helped many years ago.”
One student benefiting from Avallone’s generosity is Ehrine Manzana, now in her first year at UCSF. Growing up in Guam, she became intrigued with medicine when a “suruhano” (witch doctor) healed a mysterious bruise on her grandfather. The injury had baffled medical doctors.
“I was fascinated by the different methods of healing,” she says. “I wanted to discover the mechanics behind everything.”
After a NASA internship in high school, Manzana decided to pursue a career in biomedical research. She faced a daunting challenge, however: few opportunities existed on the tiny island, and it was very expensive to leave.
Hard work and significant financial aid allowed her to attend the University of Chicago and prestigious summer programs, such as the Weill Cornell Medical College Tri-Institutional Gateways to the Laboratory Program in New York and the Minority International Research Training Program at Kings College in London. But after years in the lab, Manzana discovered she preferred serving patients face-to-face. “I enjoy being with people,” she explains.
Manzana chose UCSF, in part, because of the scholarship support she received. “I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” she says. “If people like Dr. Avallone have been generous enough to give, then I’m determined to give back.”
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