A genetic counseling student from the MGH Institute of Health Professions is one of only seven recipients of a national scholarship. 

Second-year student Nicole Vazquez is a 2026 national recipient of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) Scholarship of Excellence. ASAHP, founded to advance excellence, leadership, and collaboration in health professions education, created this award to honor students who demonstrate both academic distinction and remarkable leadership. 

“Receiving this scholarship is a meaningful reminder of how far I have come. Through perseverance, resilience, and my experience at the IHP, I have grown into someone who leads with empathy, compassion, and a commitment to supporting others through some of life’s most uncertain moments," said Vazquez. "As I reflect on the genetic counselor I am becoming, I feel like I can finally give my younger self the hug she needed and tell her that everything would work out.”