Centre College student blends science and humanities, awarded Cralle Fellowship

Tesneem Shalash’s journey to medical school began in her mother’s clinic as a child.  She spent her younger years observing the work being done in the office, but once she was old enough to be allowed in patient care, she shadowed healthcare personnel at both her family’s clinic and a local hospital. 

Now a senior at Centre, Shalash has been awarded the Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Fellowship to support her next step of attending the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine. 

“I’ve tried so many different things, but I don’t think I can do anything else,” she explained. “For me, nothing feels as interesting, or I can’t make as big of an impact in any other field.”

Traditionally, two fellowships are awarded each year, with one award going to a student pursuing a graduate degree and another to a student pursuing a professional degree.  However, Shalash was the only student to be awarded a fellowship this year. 

During her first two years in medical school, she plans to explore potential specialties to determine what she likes most.

“I’m really open to seeing everything that there is to offer and what would be a good fit,” she said. “I’m sure there’s a specialty I haven’t even thought of that I’ll end up enjoying because there are so many possibilities.”

At Centre, she has had the opportunity to dive deeply into her pre-medicine studies while also exploring other subjects and interests. Majoring in both Biochemistry & Molecular Biology as well as Classical Studies has given Shalash valuable knowledge and critical thinking skills. She explained how the process-based study in biochemistry contrasts perfectly with the open-endedness and debate in her classical studies.

“I like to joke that the biochemistry major is for practicality and the classics is just for fun, but it helps me switch how I think every day,” Shalash said. “Biochemistry is very rigid, and there’s one solution. It’s straightforward. Then I go to my Latin classes where we discuss the meaning of a word, and there are multiple possible meanings. It forces you to really look at the passage not as a series of words, but as a big picture.”

Her relationships with professors across multiple disciplines have also proved essential for Shalash, as it was Associate Professor of Classics Danielle La Londe who recommended the Cralle fellowship to her. Following her selection as one of Centre’s nominees, she was supported in the application process by the Office of Fellowships.

Along with exploring various areas of study, Shalash has taken advantage of many extracurriculars at Centre, including theatre. 

When she first inquired about being a part of behind-the-scenes work, she was just a first-year student wanting to make friends. Since then, Shalash has been a part of 12 plays. Though it wasn’t an expected part of her journey to med school, it’s become a cornerstone of her time at Centre.

She has stage managed, been a part of sound design and has produced costumes. Working in multiple areas of theatre production has taught her about unity and audience perception. The lessons she learned behind the curtain about working toward a shared goal of a seamless performance can be applied as a doctor. 

“There are so many little details the audience doesn’t know about, but it really makes the world come together,” Shalash said. “The amount of thought that’s put into different sections makes the piece feel complete. It also requires a lot of forethought about how certain things will play out on stage.”

The journey that started in her mother’s clinic has had some unexpected turns, but have also given Shalash a valuable, holistic perspective going into med school. With every class and activity, her family has supported her every step of the way. 

“I’m really happy my parents have been supportive of me coming to Centre and trying different things that weren’t expected of me,” she said. “They took the time to make sure I’m on campus when I need to, but also I know I can come home to see my family.”

Students interested in exploring the world of fellowships are encouraged to contact Robert Schalkoff at fellowships@centre.edu.