Darby Shuler Wins Johnson Opportunity Grant at Washington and Lee University

LEXINGTON, VA (05/22/2012)(readMedia)-- Darby Shuler of Columbia, S.C., a sophomore biochemistry major at Washington and Lee University, has been selected for the spring/summer 2012 Johnson Opportunity Grant. The Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity awards 25-30 grants each year.

Shuler will take up a pre-medical internship with the International Children's Heart Foundation (ICHF). The organization is composed of pediatric cardiologists and surgeons who lead medical mission trips to underserved areas of the world. They also work with local professionals to improve medical emergency response and overall medical techniques.

Shuler will participate in a medical mission to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to assist dozens of children with heart defects.She will assist in the organizational aspects of the trip and observe numerous patient visits and surgeries in preparation for her own future in global medicine.

The grants cover living, travel and other costs associated with the students' proposed activities, which are designed to help them with their future careers and fields of study. The grants vary in amount from $1,000 to $4,500 and are funded as part of the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity.