Graduate Highlights 2026 JSSOM MD Commencement

Daaniya Syeda, Class of 2026, graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering but pivoted into medicine, where she found her passion in pediatrics. She hopes to continue her training through a developmental and behavioral pediatrics fellowship. Outside of medicine, she enjoys cooking and baking for her family, cross-stitching meaningful designs for loved ones, and exploring nature scenes. She strives to live by the motto, “Do better, be better!”

Christina Kelly grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Fort Worth Country Day high school. For college, she studied at the University of Texas at Austin and majored in Biology and Plan II Honors with a minor in Spanish. At UTMB, she enjoyed working as a tutor for medical students and volunteering as a camp counselor at Camp PHEver, a summer camp for kids with phenylketonuria (PKU). Christina plans to become a Pediatric Geneticist.

Noah Bowman is an MD/MPH student from Arkansas. He was inspired to pursue a career in medicine through experiences in global health, which led him to participate in UTMB’s Global Health Scholarly Concentration. The friends he met at UTMB through the MD, MPH, and Global Health programs were the best part of his time there, and he is excited to see the future accomplishments of their careers. He intends to train in Family Medicine upon graduation, with the hope of expanding healthcare access in underserved communities.

Jean Pierre is originally from Plano, Texas, and was raised by Peruvian parents in a culturally rich and community-oriented household. During medical school, he demonstrated leadership through roles including Vice President of LMSA and founder of the local Health Careers Collaborative chapter, fostering mentorship among peers. He is passionate about serving diverse populations and integrating Spanish into patient care. Outside of medicine, he enjoys fitness training, music, and building meaningful relationships.

My time at UTMB has been marked by a profound sense of community and support. I have been immensely blessed by my peers and faculty, as well as the community which I have called home for the past 4 years. Following graduation, I will be pursuing a pediatric residency through the United States Air Force at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. I will be sad to leave Galveston, but I can't wait to take the lessons I've learned here into the next chapter!

Veronica Hernandez, the oldest of five daughters and a soon-to-be first-time mother, is from New Braunfels, Texas. She will begin her neurology residency at UT San Antonio this year. She is deeply grateful for the constant support of her encouraging sisters, her wonderful husband, and her loving parents. She would especially like to thank her father, Dr. David Hernandez, whose unwavering dedication to his patients inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.

Carolina Segura earned her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University and will graduate from UTMB John Sealy SOM in 2026 with her MD. Inspired by her mother's compassion in caring for patients, she has been drawn to medicine from a young age. Having lived in both Mexico and the United States, she is fluent in Spanish and English and is deeply committed to advocating for underserved communities, particularly women facing language barriers. As a proud Latina and the oldest of three siblings, she brings leadership and advocacy to her work and is committed to mentoring future pre-meds & medical students. She will pursue residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology after graduation.

Born and raised in Arlington, Texas, Briana Syed is a proud first-generation physician who was inspired to pursue medicine by her immigrant father, a registered nurse who showed her what it means to dedicate your life to caring for others. Her time at UTMB has been defined by the incredible people she met along the way, with cherished memories spanning the first-year gala, long days camped out at Red Light and Freckleberry, and all the activities sprinkled throughout an unforgettable Match Week. She will go on to pursue anesthesiology residency at Mount Sinai West in New York City, her dream program in her dream city, with a passion for AI/ML research, health tech innovation, and quality improvement.

Esther was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to Dallas, Texas, in 2011. She was inspired to pursue medicine after watching a documentary about a physician serving in Africa, and her passion for surgery grew after her mother underwent open-heart surgery in 2018. During her time at UTMB, she developed a deep interest in surgical care under the guidance of exceptional mentors. Esther will continue her training at UTMB in the General Surgery Residency program, with aspirations of pursuing a career in pediatric or trauma surgery. She also hopes to be involved in international medical missions in the future.

I grew up in a multigenerational Nigerian American household in Houston, Texas, with my parents, grandparents, and two younger siblings. Being raised in a diverse, close-knit community and watching my mom care for her patients instilled in me a deep commitment to serving others from a young age. At UTMB, I enjoyed mentoring pre-med, first-, and second-year medical students through SNMA, while also serving in leadership roles. Through the Global Health Concentration, I also had the opportunity to serve communities in Meru County, Kenya, alongside incredible classmates. I look forward to continuing to grow in Internal Medicine residency and am deeply grateful to UTMB and the Galveston community. I also want to thank my family for their unwavering support!

I'm really grateful for the past four years at this unique place surrounded by wonderful people. I would like to thank my parents for all the support, and my grandpa for inspiring me to take on this journey. I'm excited to be staying here at UTMB to pursue psychiatry. I hope to pursue a career in either interventional or forensic psychiatry.

I am from Frisco, Texas, and completed my undergraduate studies at UT Austin. I have enjoyed my time at UT Medical Branch and am so grateful to all my teachers, mentors, family members, and friends who have supported me at every stage of this journey. After graduation, I will begin internal medicine residency at UT Health San Antonio and aim to continue developing my clinical skills and knowledge base.

As a first-generation immigrant, Maliha Mir brings a deep appreciation for diverse backgrounds and the importance of culturally sensitive, patient-centered care. Throughout her training, she has gained experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, with a strong interest in continuity of care and building meaningful, long-term relationships with patients.

She was inspired to pursue medicine by a desire to combine science with service and to make a meaningful impact in patients’ lives. Following graduation, she plans to begin Family Medicine residency training at Houston Methodist Hospital, with the goal of providing comprehensive care and serving her community through lasting patient relationships.

A native of Austin, Texas, Nicholas von Waaden earned his MBA from Baylor University before completing his MD at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Upon graduation, he will bring his clinical and scientific training to the life sciences investment world, where his interests in medicine, finance, and innovation converge. Drawing on his clinical experiences and research background, Nicholas is particularly focused on therapeutic advances for the nervous and cardiovascular systems, along with the rare disease and gene therapy spaces. By pairing a physician's perspective with investment discipline, he hopes to help advance the therapies that matter most to patients.