Two Escambia County students were among a select group of students from across the state were recently on campus for the Rural Health Scholars and Rural Minority Health Scholars programs in The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences.

Scarlett Martin and Bria Willis enjoyed the event held on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa as part of a group honored by the university.

These two programs introduce students from rural areas to college life and give them an orientation to the need for health and medical professionals in communities like their own.

The Rural Health Scholars are rising high school seniors and the Rural Minority Health Scholars are recent high school graduates who will be attending college.

These students, chosen based on their academic achievements and interest in rural health care, come to UA during the summer and take courses for college credit and to attend seminars. Cynthia Moore and Dr. John Wheat of CCHS direct the programs.

After some 20 years and $6 million in support from the state, UA’s Rural Health Programs have benefited the state by encouraging high school and college students to follow careers in rural medicine, Wheat notes. Among the programs that have benefited Alabamians, 523 rising high school seniors from 66 Alabama counties have participated in the Rural Health Scholars program and 120 high school graduates from 33 counties have participated as Rural Minority Health Scholars.