‘Remarkable Humanity and Depth of Thought’
Medical School-bound Senior Honored as Commencement Medalist; She and Finalists Recognized for Scholarship, Leadership and Advocacy
By John Tucker
Biological sciences major Vainavi Gambhir will speak at UMD’s main commencement ceremony on Thursday as the university medalist, the highest honor bestowed on a graduating senior each academic year.
Photo by Dylan Singleton
Vainavi Gambhir hasn’t yet enrolled in medical school, but she’s already making an impact on the health of children.
While working with the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute’s Pediatric Oncology Branch, she authored three workbooks—on communication, education and coping—for children and families dealing with a bleeding disorder and presented them at two international conferences. During a Fulbright Canada-Mitacs internship, she studied rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer, at a major Quebec lab. And as a health care intern for U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and former Sen. Ben Cardin, both of Maryland, she routinely advised the health care teams and prepared policy memoranda for her bosses.
“I want my impact in health care to extend beyond the hospital,” she said. “I want a seat at the decision-making table, advising on health interventions that put children first.”
This fall, Gambhir will enroll in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, aiming to become a physician and health policy advocate with specialties in pediatrics and holistic wellness.
She will speak at the University of Maryland’s 2025 main commencement ceremony on Thursday as the university medalist. It is the highest honor bestowed on a graduating UMD senior each academic year, with a focus on academic distinction, exemplary character and service to the campus or greater community. Nominees had to earn at least a 3.96 GPA and 60 or more credits at Maryland.
The biological sciences major and Rhodes Scholarship semifinalist from Bethesda, Md., amassed other remarkable achievements as an undergrad. While shadowing Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) and a physician, Gambhir inspired his pediatric gastroenterology clinic to adjust its approach through clearer communication and ample space for questions with patients. She displayed “surprisingly acute sensitivity” with “remarkable humanity and depth of thought,” Perman said.
Gambhir’s accomplishments go beyond medicine. She served as president of the USM Student Council, representing more than 170,000 undergraduates and graduates across 12 Maryland public universities, developing a Student Speaker Forum that offered space for innovative ideas and sometimes-competing opinions. She also co-created the USM Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarship program that distributes $24,000 annually.
In Annapolis, Gambhir serves as executive director of the Legislative Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus at the Maryland General Assembly. During her spare time, she creates award-winning acrylic pieces in the Indian subcontinent’s ancient Madhubani folk tradition, portraying children overcoming disease and societal pressures. A certified yoga instructor, Gambhir also introduced a yoga program at the NIH’s Children’s Inn, a residence for pediatric clinical patients, to foster psychosocial wellness.
She called her enrollment at UMD “the best decision of my life, and I will forever be grateful. I don’t think I’d have this voice or lead in the way I’m able if it weren’t for this institution.”
Read on for more about the four finalists for university medalist:
Lily Fleischmann
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 2022 opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, Lily Fleischmann was moved to act. She founded Students for Reproductive Justice, advocating for reproductive rights, education, policy change and access to reproductive health services in College Park.
Three years later, the organization has grown to include 500 members, collaborates with national advocacy groups and has created a coalition of DMV-area student organizations.
“I wanted students to have a space to come together, get informed, and take action on an issue that was suddenly hitting much closer to home,” said the public policy major.
“Lily is very thoughtful about her desire to make a positive change in the world, particularly for low-income women,” said Susannah Washburn, the Levenson Family Clinical Professor for the School of Public Policy and director of College Park Scholars’ Public Leadership program.
As president of the Policy Student Government Association representing 450 students, Fleischmann served as an advocate, organized events and launched “Wellness Wednesdays,” offering de-stressing activities like meditation, painting and crocheting.
Off campus, she served as a legislative intern for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), focusing on civil rights, democracy, foreign affairs and the environment. She also interned for the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama, Malala Fund and National Council of Jewish Women.
But Fleischmann is proudest of “the quieter moments,” she said, “when a student got the care they needed, when someone stayed after a meeting because they felt heard or when a peer stepped into leadership because of something we helped build.”
Briana Garcia
During her time at UMD, Briana Garcia observed what she called “a vibrant religious community” advocating for change. She also saw a need.
As a presidential fellow for UMD’s Student Government Association, the government and politics major spearheaded an initiative to boost religious counseling services and collaborated with chaplains and the University Counseling Center to integrate resources from religious organizations into its website.
Meanwhile, as an intern for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in Silver Spring, Md., she conducted intakes with asylum seekers and refugees and informed them of their rights and resources.
“My proximity with this community has led me to reflect on my aspirations to serve those seeking a better life, just as my family has also sought a better life in America,” said Garcia, whose parents emigrated from Mexico before she was born.
Garcia also shone in the classroom, writing literature reviews and expanding methodologies as a researcher for UMD’s Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Social Science, among other research roles.
“Ms. Garcia is a brilliant young scholar—thoughtful, creative, and exceptionally skilled in data analysis,” said Ernesto Calvo, professor of government and politics and director of the lab.
Off campus, Garcia interned for Maryland Sen. Michael A. Jackson and volunteered as an election judge for the Calvert County Board of Elections.
This fall she will begin a doctoral program in political science at the University of Michigan.
Anna Petersen
The daughter of UMD employees, Anna Petersen has been a Terp “for as long as I can remember,” she said, having spent much of childhood running around McKeldin Mall, fishing for plastic turtles on Maryland Day and rubbing Testudo’s nose for good luck.
As a student, Petersen has made a larger mark on campus, excelling as a psychology and criminology and criminal justice dual-degree student and welcoming other students into the UMD fold.
She worked as the undergraduate program manager for the psychology department, counseling freshmen, leading orientation workshops and helping new students explore post-college opportunities.
“I recognized what was most needed in the department—community,” said Petersen, who cofounded the Undergraduate Psychology Association, through which she organized career events, alumni panels and student-faculty get-togethers.
“Anna is the epitome of a Terp as she is courageous, inspired, industrious, spirited and driven,” said Lori Kader, associate director for undergraduate studies for the psychology department. “Above all, she is a genuinely kind person with a strong moral code.”
As a criminology researcher, Petersen obtained and analyzed ghost gun recovery data from three U.S. police departments, discovering that the use of these untraceable firearms is correlated with higher poverty and unemployment and lower high school graduation rates. She also served as an intern with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C. She hopes to pursue a career in the federal government.
Swechchha Shrestha
A first-generation college student, Swechchha Shrestha charted a journey “filled with unknowns,” she recalled. “There was no roadmap to follow.”
But after earning an associate’s degree at Montgomery College, Shrestha enrolled in UMD’s information science program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). Soon she was helping other students navigate college life.
The undergraduate student representative on the USG Board of Advisers, Shrestha served as a bridge, advocating for student needs and contributing to institutional decision-making. As president of the Information Science Student Association and Tau Sigma Honor Society, she fostered inclusive and impactful student programming.
“It is rare to find a student who embodies academic distinction, moral character and a deep passion for service so completely,” said Galina Reitz, faculty program director for the information science program.
After a few years of professional experience following graduation, Shrestha plans to return to UMD to pursue a master’s degree in information management and envisions a technology career where she can make an impact on communities and organizations.
“Technology is a powerful tool, and I am committed to using it to create positive societal change,” she said.
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