More than $200,000 in funding for the Mission Scholarship Program was raised at the ninth annual UC Riverside School of Medicine Celebration of Medical Education Gala, held Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026 at the Riverside Convention Center.
About 420 guests attended the gala, which was sold out for the third consecutive year. In all, the gala raised $211,700 dollars, which will go to support a student who will be part of the Class of 2031.
“This year’s gala was a powerful celebration of what is possible when a community comes together around a shared mission,” said Edna Yohannes, executive director of development for the UCR School of Medicine. “The Mission Award Scholarship is more than financial support--it is an investment in our students, in the future physician workforce, and in the health of Inland Southern California. Through the generosity of our donors and partners, we are helping talented students pursue their dream of becoming physicians while strengthening the pipeline of doctors who will serve our region for generations to come. I am deeply grateful to everyone who continues to believe in our mission and invest in our students.”
Monica Carson, PhD, chair of the Division of Biomedical Sciences, resumed her hosting duties for the second year, welcoming guests and introducing Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Watkins, PhD.
"To our partners, affiliates, donors, and civic leaders here tonight: Thank you for your support," Watkins said. "You are the driving force behind UCR's mission to transform healthcare and improve lives across Inland Southern California. While this evening honors how far we've traveled, it is also about shaping where we go next."
Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Mark and Pam Rubin Dean Deborah Deas, MD, MPH, echoed those thoughts in her welcome remarks.
"This marks the ninth year we have gathered in support of the School of Medicine and the Mission Awards Program. I am touched to see so many friends, supporters, and colleagues who have joined us to support our mission scholars," Deas said. "It warms my heart to realize that each of you truly understands the significance of medical education and the impact it can have on our community."
As she thanked attendees and donors, Deas took a moment to remember the legacy of the late Jay Lawrence Sugarman, MD, who, along with his wife Ruth, supported the education of five medical students.
"Dr. Sugarman dedicated his life to compassionate care and lifelong learning and he believed deeply in supporting the next generation of physicians--particularly those committed to serving their communities with integrity, curiosity, and empathy," Deas said. "His legacy now lives on through the students whose education he and Ruth have helped make possible."
Deas also announced a transformative gift of $6 million dollars from an anonymous UCR alumni donor that will support the expansion of the UCR Health clinical enterprise.
"This remarkable gift will help us expand access to high-quality care, strengthen our clinical capacity, and better meet the growing healthcare needs of the communities we serve across Inland Southern California," Deas said.
In a special surprise for the audience, medical student Alyssa Brand, Class of 2030 and the recipient of the Mission Scholarship that was funded by the 2025 gala, performed Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem "A Change is Gonna Come" before guests enjoyed their dinner.
After dinner, Brand returned to the stage to present the keynote address. She shared her history as a caregiver, first as the eldest daughter supporting her younger sisters and later as a nursing assistant working in acute rehabilitation.
"Being trusted with another person's vulnerability is a privilege," she said. "We must share what we know so others can use it for themselves. That is why I chose medicine. I want the depth of knowledge, to understand what is happening in a patient's body, the responsibility to make sound decisions, and the ability to help people take part in those decisions.
"It is also why I chose UC Riverside," she added.
Brand recalled receiving her white coat in August, becoming the first in her family to attend medical school, and said that the Mission Award provided her a new beginning.
"The support is an extraordinary relief. I can devote my attention to learning medicine without measuring every opportunity against the cost. I have room to learn from patients, seek mentors, and pursue passionate volunteer and research experiences. The award also tells me that people I have never met believe this community deserves the standard of care I am striving to provide. I feel deeply supported by, and accountable to, that trust."
Guests learned more about the impact of the UCR School of Medicine and the Mission Scholarship Program in an emotional video that featured a pair of UCR SOM graduates who have returned to work in Inland Southern California, Antonio Garcia, MD '20 and Annie Le, MD '19, as well as current scholarship recipients Sandy Perez Jimenez '29, Litiana Mikaela Librando '30, Nathan Hidajat '30, Rishi Swaran Kongari '30, and Mark-Anthony Valentin '30. The video can be seen below.
The evening concluded with the drawing of five raffle prizes, highlighted by a 10-day stay in Maui, Hawaii that was won by Associate Dean for Clinical Research Robert Rodriguez, MD, and his wife Cary Richardson.
Yohannes also expressed her appreciation to the teams whose work made the gala possible. “An event of this magnitude is truly a team effort. I am incredibly grateful to our colleagues in the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Development, as well as the many volunteers across UCR who gave their time and talent to make this year’s gala such a success. Their dedication reflects the same spirit of partnership and commitment that makes the UCR School of Medicine community so special."
