Mark Topoozian’s path to medical school didn’t start in a classroom or at a doctor’s office: It started at a lunch table.

While volunteering at the Poverello House, a non-profit that provides meals to people experiencing homelessness, Topoozian began to understand just how valuable food is. The next day at high school, he was shocked by what he saw.

“I noticed students throwing wrapped, uneaten hamburgers and burritos into the garbage and couldn’t believe my eyes,” says Topoozian, a 2019 Most Valuable Student scholar sponsored by Fresno, Calif., Lodge No. 439. “Yesterday I saw that food was nearly gold to some people, while a few miles down the road, students were throwing it away. This didn’t sit well with me.”

Topoozian turned his frustrations into actions. After months of working with school officials and a local food bank to discuss logistics, he started a food recovery program at his school. The program collected, repurposed, and distributed the wrapped and untouched “waste” from student lunches, and then delivered it to the members of the community that needed it most.

“Seeing its huge success, my program gave hope to thousands of people in my hometown,” says Topoozian. “It inspired me to help people—I just had to figure out the best way.”

Topoozian found the answer when he saw the effect healthcare can have on an individual. He became a study research coordinator at UCLA, where he helped patients obtain same-day treatment for prostate cancer. The experience will guide Topoozian in medical school and beyond. “Working to find creative solutions through research and learning how to deliver quality medical care is my driving force,” says Topoozian. “I am now physically and mentally ready and prepared to devote myself to improving my community through medicine.”

With the aid of the Weigel Medical School scholarship, Topoozian will work to make these dreams come true.

“My ultimate goal as a physician is to help people live healthier lives,” says Topoozian. “I believe that with the support of the Elks National Foundation, I can best achieve my goals of becoming a physician dedicated to serving my community, because I can further explore other aspects rather than worrying about my financial status.”

Topoozian will attend the Tulane University School of Medicine to study urology.