When Vilina Mehta was a sophomore at Stanford University, one of her classmates died of an opioid overdose.

Mehta, a 2018 Most Valuable Student scholar and 2023 Gunther and Lee Weigel Medical School Scholarship recipient, wondered why resident assistants did not have access to Narcan, a nonprescription medication used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. If Narcan was easily accessible, she wondered, would her classmate’s life have been saved?

For a class project, Mehta and one of her peers were determined to find the answer. They immediately turned to the Stanford Office of Alcohol Policy and Education with the idea of bringing Narcan to campus to prevent future opioid deaths. The office rejected Mehta’s plan.

“We were initially discouraged, uncertain about how to convince administration to promote life-saving opioid overdose reversal training and Narcan access,” says Mehta. “However, over the next several months, we persevered.”

Mehta and her peer took matters into their own hands. With the support of addiction medicine specialists and policymakers, they worked with Santa Clara County to provide free Narcan on campus, along with training and education on the opioid epidemic. This led Mehta and her peer to found the Campus Opioid Prevention Project, a public health initiative based on harm reduction that provides Narcan to students, resident assistants, and faculty.

Since CO-OP was founded, there have been no opioid-related deaths at Stanford.

“Several resident assistants reported using Narcan to save lives,” says Mehta.

Because the OAPE eventually recognized the importance of Mehta’s work, they rebranded to the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources. They created a new position for Mehta, allowing her to continue her work with harm reduction strategies.

When she thinks back on her work at Stanford, Mehta is grateful for the Elks National Foundation scholarship.

“I am deeply grateful for the support that the Elks National Foundation provided me as an undergraduate student,” says Mehta. “With the help of the MVS scholarship, I was able to prioritize my involvement in community service, research, and leadership alongside my academic achievements in preparation for medical school.”

As she goes on to study primary care at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Mehta will seek to make her Elks family proud.

“With the help of the Weigel Medical School Scholarship, I can continue my journey towards becoming a compassionate physician while honoring my Elks family and legacy.”