A shipmaster’s decision to dim his lights while passing a pair of refugees waded near his boat was just one of the acts of kindness that left an indelible mark on College of Medicine freshman Ioana Peret. One of the men in the river that night in 1984 was her father, making his escape from Communist Romania.

“My family has been blessed by the kindness of others many times over,” says Peret, who most recently was awarded a full-tuition scholarship from the Arkansas Caduceus Club, the College of Medicine’s alumni association. “This scholarship was an answer to my prayers, kind of a sign that this is where I should be,” Peret says. “Many people have invested in me, and I feel a great responsibility to give back.”

Peret has won numerous scholarships and awards for academic achievement. She hopes to practice medicine someday in disadvantaged communities. “Becoming a doctor is the best way for me to have positive impact on the underprivileged,” she says. “My parents also encouraged me to go into medicine. My father saw it as the fulfillment of the American dream.”

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