‘It Feels Good
to Give Back’
Drs. Chancellor and Aleicia Donald, both past recipients of the John K. Robinson Scholarship, proudly contribute to the fund that supported them
By Bob Woods
Chancellor Donald, M.D. ’03, and Aleicia Donald, M.D. ’05, will forever be grateful to the Miller School of Medicine for several reasons. It’s where they received the medical degrees that launched their respective careers in hematology/oncology and anesthesiology. It’s where they met and fell in love before marrying in 2005.
The Miller School also is where they both received the John K. Robinson (JKR) Scholarship, which precipitated those events. It’s no wonder, then, that the Donalds, who now live in New Orleans, became contributors to the JKR Fund, which provides the annual scholarship awarded to Miller School students.
“It feels good to give back,” said Chancellor, an oncologist who was named chief medical officer for the Taking Aim at Cancer initiative in Lousiana.
The financial support of the JKR Fund was a game changer for Aleicia, an anesthesiologist who was recognized by Xavier University, her undergraduate institution, as a recipient of their 2018 “40 Under 40” Alumni award.
As ongoing donors to the JKR Fund, the Donalds appreciate the dual impact the scholarship has on past and present Miller School-trained physicians.
“The school certainly welcomes the donations,” Aleicia said, “but more important, they foster the relationship between former recipients and current students who are embarking on the same journey.”
A familial incentive for the Donalds’ generosity is the lesson it teaches their two daughters.
“We want them to know the value of paying it forward and what our participation in humanity is all about,” Chancellor said.