Recent Fulbright recipient Eily Cournoyer ’13, has been preparing for a career in the medical field since she was a little girl. That’s when she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor with such serious growth and progression that doctors said she would die in a month if it wasn’t removed. She underwent surgery three days later. During her year of recovery, she got hooked on becoming a doctor. And after winning the most competitive Fulbright scholarship of them all, she’s spending a year studying cancer at the graduate level in the United Kingdom, moving her dream of becoming a pediatric oncologist one big step forward.
“Cancer is a devastating illness that pretty much touches everyone, but I feel drawn to pediatrics,” said Eily, 21. “There are a lot of kids who won’t get an opportunity to live because of cancer. I’d like to devote my time to them. I’d like to help them grow up.”
She met many children with cancer last summer when she interned at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She researched methods to treat neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that develops from sympathetic nerve tissue in infants and young children. Eily made time to leave the lab and see the patients who impressed her with their resilience. “Even if they’re wearing masks you can see in their eyes they are smiling,” she said.
While in London, she’ll focus on how to improve hematopoietic stem cell transplants for blood cancers. Thanks to the Fulbright and a Whitaker International Program Fellowship grant, the expense of tuition at the Cancer Institute at University College London, room and board, and travel will be covered.
“The knowledge I’ll get will be crucial in my development as a doctor-scientist and future global leader in the fight against cancer,” said Eily, who plans to return to the Boston area for medical school after her year abroad.
Perhaps it was her childhood tumor that gave Eily her drive. In addition to her Fulbright, she received the University College Scholar Award in 2010 as one of the top 10 students in the freshmen class, won a Goldwater Scholarship as a sophomore for her potential as a researcher, and was a national finalist for the Marshall Scholarship in the fall. “Eily’s accomplishments are evidence that the opportunities available for the University’s top students are truly world-class,” said Kathleen Maher, assistant director of URI’s Honors Program, who serves as the Fulbright Program advisor. “The Honors Program encourages and supports students in their pursuit of excellence.