Get Up, Get Involved!

Student Doctor Cambria Kasten (she/they) is a fourth-year student at Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest and is applying to Emergency Medicine residency. While in medical school, Cambria has served on leadership for a variety of student-led organizations, including Equality Alliance Club, White Coats for Black Lives, and American Medical Women’s Association. Additionally, they have enjoyed volunteering with youth in the foster system and at leadership camps. Cambria plans to continue working with underrepresented populations throughout their career. They would like to thank the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation for investing in their educational journey and commitment to compassionate, trauma-informed care.

Cambria Kasten

2025 LGBTQ+ Scholarship

My name is Alex Downs, and I am a fourth-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University. I grew up here in the Northwest and have always felt connected to this region, the people, the outdoors, and the sense of community that makes it such a special place to live and work. I hope to carry that same spirit into my career as a physician.
I am very grateful to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation for this scholarship. Medical school has been a demanding but meaningful journey, and this support allows me to stay focused on learning and serving. Thank you for investing in students like me and for your continued support of future osteopathic physicians in the Northwest.

Alex Downs

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

My name is Peyton Cortner, and I am a third-year osteopathic medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, currently completing my clinical training in Montana alongside my husband, who shares my dream of serving our rural communities. I grew up under Montana’s “Big Sky,” where I learned the value of hard work, connection, and caring for our neighbors. These lessons have shaped both my path in medicine and my understanding of what it means to serve others.
Looking back, osteopathic principles and preventive medicine are things that I have been surrounded by my entire life. My mom, a nurse and avid runner, has lived with multiple sclerosis since her diagnosis when she was my age. With the help of amazing doctors and an unwavering positive outlook on life, she has been able to live relapse-free for several years. She has become my model for the power of healthy living, showing me every day how it can be used to improve quality of life, even when faced with a life-altering diagnosis. Unfortunately, I have found that many Montanans do not have access to these types of medical resources. It has become my goal to be the physician who will give the people of Montana the best chance to live their lives to the fullest, just as my mom has done.
In my encounters with medicine so far, I have been nothing but inspired. Not only am I encouraged by the incredible medical success stories, but I am also motivated by the struggles I’ve witnessed, which remind me that there is still work to be done in my beloved community. I have fallen in love with patient interactions, preventative medicine, and the academic challenge of becoming the best physician possible.
Osteopathic medicine aligns perfectly with these values. The unity of body, mind, and spirit, and the body’s innate ability to heal, mirrors what I have seen in both my mother’s strength and in my own experiences as a runner. Through running, I’ve come to appreciate the body’s resilience, balance, and interconnectedness. It’s a reminder that healing is not only physical but also mental and emotional. These lessons shape how I want to approach patient care: with empathy, education, and a focus on helping others reach their healthiest selves.
Receiving the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship is an incredible honor and a reminder that I am part of a larger community dedicated to advancing osteopathic principles and improving care in underserved areas. Medical school would not be a reality for me without the generosity of organizations and individuals who believe in students like me. This support allows me to focus fully on my training and strengthens my commitment to pay it forward. I would consider a career serving my community in Montana as their physician the greatest honor, and I am grateful that this scholarship will help me along that journey.

Peyton Cortner

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

Karsen Krebs was born and raised in Plains, Montana, a rural community nestled in the Clark Fork Valley where the values of connection, integrity, and service are part of daily life. His introduction to medicine began in high school when a local physician invited him to shadow at the community hospital an experience that inspired his desire to serve as a physician dedicated to improving access to care in rural Montana. From here he went on to attend Montana State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science.
Now a third-year medical student at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Karsen continues to build on that foundation through clinical training, research, leadership, and service. His work as a research intern at Boise State University focused on tendon regeneration, contributing to the understanding of how mechanical and biochemical cues influence healing. At ICOM, he served as co-chair of the Ophthalmology Club, organizing community outreach and educational events for students and physicians. He is actively involved in several volunteer efforts that aim to support underserved youth and families, reflecting his commitment to holistic, service-oriented care.
Beyond academics and service, Karsen’s background as a wildland firefighter and fly-fishing guide has shaped his resilience, teamwork, and empathy qualities that now define his approach to patient care. He also enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two young children. Guided by the osteopathic tenets of treating the whole person body, mind, and spirit he hopes to return to Montana to provide compassionate, comprehensive care to the rural communities that shaped him.
I’m incredibly honored and appreciative to be a recipient of this scholarship, which enables me to further my osteopathic education while helping support my family. This generous investment helps me continue preparing to give back to rural communities similar to those that shaped my values and aspirations.

Karsen Krebs

2025 Shirley Carpenter Scholarship

I am a second-year medical student at Western University of Health Sciences – COMPNW and am deeply committed to serving communities that face limited access to healthcare and are impacted by addiction. Growing up in such an environment, I witnessed firsthand the consequences of fragmented care and the profound need for physicians who look beyond immediate symptoms to understand the whole person. These experiences have inspired my pursuit of osteopathic medicine and have continued to shape my vision of compassionate, patient-centered care.
In the future, I plan to pursue a career in Internal Medicine where I will strive to build lasting partnerships founded on trust, education, and preventive care. My ultimate goal is to return to my community to provide compassionate, continuous care that restores balance, dignity, and hope to those who have long been underserved.
I am deeply grateful to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation for believing in my goals and supporting my journey. This scholarship represents more than financial support it symbolizes an opportunity to return home and uplift the community that first ignited my passion for medicine. It serves as a reminder of the responsibility I carry to use my education to create a lasting, positive change. I am extremely thankful for the Foundation’s generosity and its dedication to empowering future osteopathic physicians to serve with empathy, purpose, and compassion.

Parisa Mirjalili

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

Derek McClune is an OMS-III at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Southern Utah, where he is part of the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track. He is deeply grateful for the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation’s scholarship, which will ease the financial burden on his growing family as he and his wife expect their first child, allowing him to focus more fully on his studies and clinical training.
Originally from Wenatchee, Washington the Apple Capital of the World Derek earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at Brigham Young University, where he competed in wrestling and rugby. His background in athletics and physical therapy has fueled a longstanding interest in musculoskeletal medicine and injury recovery, and he aspires to a career in orthopedic surgery with a focus on restoring function and optimizing performance through both surgical and preventative strategies.
Derek is fluent in Spanish following a two-year mission in Bolivia and is the founder of Road to Wellness, a project aimed at promoting evidence-based, lifestyle-driven health optimization. The Foundation’s support is instrumental as Derek works toward his dream of returning to rural Washington to practice medicine and serve the communities that shaped him. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing sports especially basketball, pickleball, and futsal along with backpacking, rock climbing, and mountain biking, and he cherishes time with his wife and dog.

Derek McClune

2025 Historically Underserved Group (H.U.G.) Scholarship

Coming from the rural Pacific Northwest, I’ve had to pave my own path into medicine. I’m excited and passionate about returning to my community to practice medicine and hopefully open doors for more rural students to follow. This scholarship is unbelievably meaningful and will help me immensely as I continue my journey to becoming a physician. Thank you so much! I cannot express my gratitude enough.

Aspynn Owsley

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

Angela Loczi-Storm is a third-year osteopathic medical student at Western University of Health Sciences COMP-Northwest. Originally from the Portland metro area with family roots in rural Southern Oregon, she is passionate about improving access to dermatologic care for underserved communities. She aspires to practice dermatology in Oregon while continuing to advance mentorship and advocacy that strengthen the osteopathic community.
Angela has conducted extensive research on skin cancer outcomes, health disparities, and medical education, with multiple publications accepted in national journals. She is also an active leader in the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon, contributing to statewide education initiatives and student outreach to expand mentorship and professional development opportunities.
Angela is grateful to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation for its generous support of her medical education and for empowering future physicians to serve the Northwest.

Angela Loczi-Storm

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

Hello! My name is Jess Downs. I’m a fourth-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, dedicated to serving rural and underserved communities through osteopathic medicine. I’m originally from Mountain Home, Idaho, and earned my bachelor’s degree from Lewis-Clark State College, where I played collegiate volleyball and graduated magna cum laude.
I believe in holistic, whole-person care that empowers patients to take an active role in their health. I enjoy volunteering with Special Olympics and teaching the community about nutrition and disease prevention through culinary medicine outreach. I hope to become certified in Lifestyle Medicine during residency to help patients take control of their health and make lasting changes. I plan to practice as a rural family physician in the Pacific Northwest alongside my husband, Alex, who also attends PNWU. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities including rafting, hiking, skiing, and running with my dog, Elmer!
It’s difficult to put into words what this scholarship means to me, as it truly means so much. I’m incredibly grateful for this support, as it allows me to focus more on my education and less on the financial strain that comes with medical school. This opportunity brings me one step closer to achieving my dream of returning to the Pacific Northwest to serve as a rural family physician alongside my husband, Alex.

Jessica Downs

2025 B.E. “Genie” Willis, D.O. Women’s Scholarship

Anna Hill is a fourth-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington, applying to family medicine residency programs. She loves the variety, procedures, and opportunity to treat the whole family that family medicine offers, with special interests in women’s health, pediatrics, and global health. She hopes to pursue a fellowship in obstetrics.
Her passion for connecting with patients began through her experiences growing up in several countries, including Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and being adopted from China. She has found osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and culinary medicine to be valuable tools in her training, helping her provide hands-on care with holistic principles while emphasizing preventive care, patient education, and whole-person health.
Prior to medical school, she lived in Seattle and worked as a program manager for a patient education company and as a nursing assistant in a memory care home. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, swimming, surfing, and skiing. She and her husband have an energetic yellow lab who loves joining them for hikes, camping trips, and scavenging for dropped food while they cook.
I am deeply grateful for this generous scholarship. Your support lightens my financial burden and allows me to focus on learning, patient care, and growing as a future family physician. I am inspired by your generosity and will carry it forward throughout my medical journey.

Anna Hill

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

Receiving this scholarship affirms my commitment to serving others through the holistic lens of osteopathic medicine. I aspire to be a physician who integrates body, mind, and spirit in every encounter, trusting in each patient’s innate capacity for healing while addressing the broader factors that shape their health. I am deeply grateful to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation for supporting students dedicated to expanding access to compassionate, whole-person care throughout the Pacific Northwest the place that raised and inspired me to serve.

Sejal Dhaliwal

2025 Northwest Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship

I’m humbled by this recognition from the community that continues to teach and sustain me. This honor reflects not only my efforts, but the generosity and lessons of the patients, peers and mentors who have shaped me. It is a true privilege to continue serving and learning from them.

Nicholaus Salm

2025 E. L. “Doc” Burnham Wonderful World Scholarship