High School Fellowships

Life-Changing Summer Experience

  • The entire application is submitted online. The application opens on March 1st and closes at midnight the first Monday in April.
    • A link to the application form will be on this page.
  • Fellowship recipients will need to be vaccinated with the most recently available COVID-19 vaccine -OR- they will need to complete a declination/waiver form. 
  • The fellowships are open to students who are completing their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school.
  • Student applicants must be from a high school within Stillwater Medical's service area, such as: Stillwater, Blackwell, Carney, Coyle, Cushing, Glencoe, Morrison, Mulhall-Orlando, Pawnee, Perkins/Tryon, Perry, Red Rock/Marland, Ripley, or Yale. Students who attend the Oklahoma School of Science and Math (OSSM) are eligible if their home residence is within the service area (see towns noted above).
    • If you are from a school near one of these communities that isn't listed, please email us and your eligibility can be reviewed.
  • An anonymous panel reviews and scores the applications. Up to three finalists for each fellowship will be selected.
  • Finalists are called for interviews with a second panel of reviewers. This panel makes the final recommendation for the awards.
  • Fellows are scheduled independently, and we work with each individual to set his/her calendar. However, the program must be a priority for the student.
  • The fellowship program usually begins the first week of June. Six weeks is equal to 30 days of activity.
    • Some evening or weekend hours may be necessary to complete the program.
    • Normal hours fall Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Dress is business casual and clean tennis shoes are acceptable.
  • A lab coat and hospital ID badge are provided by the Foundation.
  • Upon successful completion of the fellowship, each student receives a $1,750 stipend.

2022 Fellowship recipients recall their unique takeaways and experiences during the six-week program.

Krystal Voight, MD, shares how her participation in the summer fellowship program impacted her career path.

How It All Began

The High School Fellowship program was created by the late Dr. Orville Rippy. It was his dream to create a program that would help introduce young adults to the wide variety of careers in healthcare. Upon his retirement in 1983, he asked friends and family to support the creation of the Rippy Fellowship.

In the mid 90’s, Dr. Robert Breedlove started an endowment for the Breedlove Fellowship, after several years of having Rippy Fellows shadowing in his office.

At the same time, Dr. Glen Henry, the 1987 Rippy Fellow, and his mother, Glenna Franklin Cramer, started the Franklin Fellowship in memory of Bill Franklin.

2019: A Fourth Fellowship Created

Retired nurse and hospital volunteer Sue McMillan created an endowment for the McMillan Fellowship, bringing us to a total of four student experiences each summer.

That same year, eligibility was changed. Now students can apply from the summer before their junior year of high school to the summer before their freshman year of college. Students must also be 16 years of age by June 1st.

What an Experience

During the program, the fellows shadow physicians, nurses and allied health professionals at Stillwater Medical Center and area clinics. They also observe surgeries, births, and emergency treatment at SMC.

The program normally includes field trips to both of Oklahoma’s medical schools as well as specialized centers like Dean McGee Eye Institute, the Oklahoma Blood Institute, Integris’ Paul Silverstein Burn & Wound Care Unit, and the Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute. Students have also visited the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy.

Fellowship Benefactors & History

Fellowship Alumni

RIPPY FELLOWS

2024 - Alex Kim
2023 - Avery Littlefield
2022 - Ceyda Kara
2021 – KayLea Taylor
2020 – Lenna Abouzahr
2019 – Paeton Watkins
2018 – Brooke Worley
2017 – Cameron Dickey
2016 – Kaylea Bilxer
2015 – Jay Ogle
2014 – Kamakshi Vaidyanathan
2013 - Rylee Pittman
2012 - Brett Cheary
2011 - Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan
2010 - Forrest Rogers
2009 - Jordan Morgan
2008 - Nitin Kamath
2007 - Natalia Soulages
2006 - Erin Williams
2005 - Rachel Donaldson
2004 - Michael Henneberry
2003 - Mariah Johnson
2002 - Cristine Klatt
2001 - Eric Thomas
2000 - Miriam El Rassi
1999 - Natalie Davis
1998 - Krystal Dickens
1997 - Erin Wright
1996 - Darriel Johnson
1995 - Chris Quible
1994 - Melissa Miller
1993 - Janelle Stern
1992 - Megan Devine
1991 - Annie Seapan
1990 - David Smith
1989 - Kevin Doeksen
1988 - Heather Lyle
1987 - Glen Henry
1986 - Jennifer McMurtry
1985 - Jeff Berry
1984 - Shelly Wright

FRANKLIN FELLOWS

2024 - Cody Moss
2023 - Addison Szymanski
2022 - Mena Awad
2021 – Jenna Brunker
2020 – Ella Rains
2019 – Maggie Walter
2018 – Carly Wilbourn
2017 – Beau Henneha
2016 – Brettney Grantz
2015 – Zach Lewis
2014 – Riley Smith
2013 – Amber Hood
2012 – Liesl Prather
2011 - Atticus Mullon
2010 - Rachel Angevine
2009 - Corbin Donavan
2008 - Neil Miller
2007 - Rachel Adamson
2006 - Shepard Cockrell
2005 - Thomas Hagan
2004 - Evan Schwenk
2003 - Jennifer Clarke
2002 - Niushen (Niu-Niu) Zhang
2001 - Crista MacAllister
2000 - Abby Helman
1999 - Steve Anderson
1998 - Nathan Ray
1997 - Erin Lawler

BREEDLOVE FELLOWS

2024 - Taksh Vaghela
2023 - Eric Wang
2022 - Makenna Marr
2021 – Cayden Brickman
2020 – Lindsay Millis
2019 – Sarah Teeman
2018 – Cindi Li
2017 – Manoj Jagadeesh
2016 – Sergio Mares
2015 – Vicky White
2014 – Kylin Wang
2014 – Senta Wang
2013 – Matt Arrington
2012 – Katy Nicholson
2011 - Kate Raun
2010 - Bryce Baird
2009 - Josh Carpenter
2008 - Andrew Zapata
2007 - Ella Walker
2006 - Loza Dejene
2005 - Anna Pruitt
2004 - Drew Dawson
2003 - Kayla Avers
2002 - Amy Criswell
2001 - Marci Wilkinson
2000 - Becky Brandon
1999 - Erin Darlington
1998 - Andrew Hong
1997 - Jennifer Jadlow

MCMILLAN FELLOWS

2024 - Alex Ji
2023 - Shelley Lin
2022 - Bailey Ramsey
2021 – Griffyn Stoodley
2020 - Paige Day

FOUNDATION FELLOWS

2024 - Beau Birch