PMC Esping Foundation Celebrates Success with Scholarship Recipient

DALLAS, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The PMC Esping Foundation, created by Dallas' Bill and Heather Esping to assist underserved and low-income students access educational opportunities and success beyond high school, is celebrating the remarkable achievement of scholarship recipient Julius Ejiofor.  With funding provided by the foundation, the African native recently completed four years of medical school at Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical School after graduating Southern Methodist University (SMU).  Ejiofor has been accepted into the prestigious Brigham & Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School in Boston.  The PMC Esping Foundation provided scholarship grants totaling $55,000 over six years to the recent graduate.  According to Ejiofor, it would have been impossible for him to achieve his childhood dream of being a doctor without financial support from the foundation.

"If it weren't for the kind people at the PMC Esping Foundation, I would not be where I am today," said Ejiofor, a 26-year-old native of Ndu, in West Africa's northwestern province of Cameroon.  "With the Esping family's support, I have realized my childhood dream of becoming a doctor."

According to Ejiofor, it was common for people to die from preventable diseases in his homeland. "I personally experienced the shortage of doctors on multiple occasions and it was from this deficiency that my passion and goal for a career in medicine was born. By my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to become a physician after watching my friend die from osteosarcoma after a failed amputation. Due to political corruption, however, I knew that it would be impossible to become a physician if I stayed in Cameroon. With the help of my family, I decided to seek college admission in the United States. At the age of 17, I left friends, family and my birth land to come to the U.S. to pursue a dream of becoming a medical doctor.

"In Ndu, going to school was a challenge as it involved walking a long distance daily," said Ejiofor. "Once I arrived in the U.S., I faced another obstacle: the financial burden of paying for my education."  Ejiofor took fast-paced vocational nursing courses, in addition to his regular course load as a biochemistry major at Dallas County Community College. He completed his nursing studies, successfully passed the boards and became a licensed vocational nurse at the age of 19. His hard work and dedication caught the attention of his community college counselor Kathye Hamontree, who introduced Ejiofor to the PMC Esping Foundation. 

"Julius is an exceptional person who has overcome incredible odds," said Sherrye Willis, PMC Esping Foundation board member. "We saw great potential in him and wanted to help him reach his goals." Ejiofor's part-time work as a licensed vocational nurse, along with the scholarships grants from the PMC Esping Foundation, allowed him to complete his undergraduate studies without student loans, which he cannot access as a foreign student.

"When we originally met Julius, we committed to assist him with tuition and books for his first year at SMU," said William P. "Bill" Esping, who with wife Heather established the foundation.  Ejiofor's progress was monitored annually and, because of his straight As, employment and campus activities, the Espings committed yearly to continue the foundation's support.  "Over the years, we saw his hard work reflected in his academic achievements," said Esping, co-founder and managing partner of Dallas' EFO Holdings, L.P., "but he is much more than what is on his report cards. He left his home and family as a teenager for a foreign country where he knew no one, yet he has met  - and exceeded - every goal he set for himself. He is an extraordinary young man."

"As each year progressed, we found ourselves more and more impressed with this young man, with his goals, his potential for success, his plans for the future and commitment to giving back to the community," said Heather Esping. Ejiofor has plans to study general surgery during his five-to-seven-year residency and will seek a fellowship in either cardiac or vascular surgery. "Julius has plans for regular medical mission trips to his homeland in Africa when he completes his studies," added Heather.  "We feel privileged to know Julius and to have been a part of his tremendous success."

The PMC Esping Foundation was founded in 2005. Each year, the foundation accepts applications from underserved or low- income students seeking to advance their education past high school.  The foundation awards scholarships twice a year. For more information on the PMC Esping Foundation, visit www.PMCEspingFoundation.org.

SOURCE PMC Esping Foundation