Celebrating 10 Years of Webster Suggs Scholars: Jalalah Muhammad

Webster University’s Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship program is 10 years old this year. Webster is reaching out to some of the 37 students or alumni who are either currently in the program or have graduated to feature their personal and professional successes.

Jalalah MuhammadJalalah Muhammad
Biology major
Undergraduate

Jalalah Muhammad is a rising junior at Webster University. A recipient of the Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship, she studies Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Health and Medicine. Muhammad also is a member of the Tri-Beta National Honors Society chapter, located on Webster University’s main campus in the St. Louis region.

By participating in independent research opportunities and being involved in the community, Muhammad aims to learn more about medicine and about underserved communities, in preparation for medical school.

“The Suggs Scholarship community has allowed me to develop a sense of belonging on the Webster University campus. Most importantly, the Suggs program has increased my leadership abilities through seminars, leadership classes, and events,” Muhammad said. “With this guidance and confidence, I am now able to hold the position of President of the Association of African American Collegians (AAAC) on campus, and I have a published article in the October 2022 issue of the Scientific Gorlok.”

In the future, she desires to become a neonatologist to specialize in the care of newborns with health challenges, a passion derived from her lived experiences in the emergency room for a sibling with developmental delays.

In spring 2021 with research mentor Professor Victoria Brown-Kennerly, Muhammad began investigating the impact of lead contaminated water on learning and memory, using ants as a model organism. This past summer, she was accepted into the competitive MSTP ACCESS Undergraduate Summer Research Program that provides hands-on experiences in practical applications of healthcare, in preparation for medical school.

Muhammad hopes to one day address the needs of underserved neonatal healthcare in the African American community.

About the Suggs Scholarship

The Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship was established to honor Dr. Donald M. Suggs, an oral surgeon, newspaper publisher, patron of the arts, and distinguished community leader, and is administered by The St. Louis American Foundation. The scholarship is designed to enhance recruitment and retention of academically talented undergraduate students from communities that are typically under-represented in higher education. The funding for the Webster University Dr. Suggs Scholarship Program is provided by Webster University. A committee of staff volunteers helps select students for the program. Webster University has 32 students currently enrolled in the program, more than double of any other participating institution of higher education. 

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