Dr. Sanjeev Bhatia, founder and medical director of the Crossroads Health Center in Victoria, recently created two $10,000 UH-Victoria endowed scholarships; one for student veterans and another for first-generation students.
The two scholarships, each named for one of Bhatia’s parents, will be granted annually to UH-V students once the scholarships are fully funded by Bhatia. The Om Prakish Bhatia Scholarship will be awarded to one first-generation student and the Urmil Bhatia Scholarship will be awarded to one honorably discharged student veteran.
Bhatia said his parents were great influences in his life, and he was convinced to provide the endowment on behalf of their guidance for him to complete higher education.
“My parents encouraged us to try to pursue our goals and do something that is helpful for everyone,” Bhatia said in an article for the Crossroads Health Center.
Bhatia chose to name the scholarships after his father, who was the first in his family to attend college, and his mother, who was service-oriented and was always keen to help others.
Bhatia’s own education took him to the New York University Downtown Hospital and the University of Connecticut in Farmington. He has lived in Victoria in 2004.
“I like to follow what’s going on in Victoria, so I’m aware of how UH-V is collaborating with different organizations in town,” Bhatia said. “The University has made it easier to transition into college. It’s a great university, and the sky is the limit, especially with Victoria growing.”
Bhatia created the Crossroads Health Center, which provides walk-in health care every day, in 2007. Some students from the UH-V Master of Science Family Practitioner Program are mentored by Crossroads staff.
Bhatia will donate the $20,000 for the endowments throughout the next five years.
Philosophy senior Ryan Wonser, a first-generation student, said the type of generosity that Bhatia employs is paramount to how the UH System sees its students, and students within these two demographics need more help.
“First-generation students are new to the college network when they arrive, so they need all the help they can get,” Wonser said.
For more information on the scholarship, call the Office of Financial Aid at 361-570-4125 or visit www.uhv.edu/ofa.