When Yashaswi Parikh’s younger brother, Om, was put on hospice, she had turned 18 the day before.
Om was 13.
Om died a few months later, a full three years after being diagnosed with brain cancer. And two weeks later, Yashaswi logged on to interview for a spot in Rowan University’s dual BS/DO major program.
Soon after, she was accepted, ready to pursue the goal she’d dreamed of since she was little: becoming a pediatrician.
“I think caring for human beings, and especially caring for children, is a privilege,” she says.
Read about honoree, Yashaswi, in our “Women of Excellence 2025” story
