BuzzRx believes in the power of community—many individuals working together for the greater good. Our ecosystem consists of passionate employees, doctors prescribing medications, customers seeking discounts, and pharmacists and pharmacy technicians filling and processing prescriptions. These symbiotic relationships keep BuzzRx buzzing, resulting in more affordable and accessible prescriptions for all and more opportunities for supporting the communities we serve.

BuzzRx is proud to announce that we have selected the four recipients of our inaugural Bee Healthy Scholarship, awarding $5,000 to each student for the fall 2025 semester.

The Bee Healthy Scholarship Fund received 973 applications from students across the United States pursuing careers in pharmacy, nursing, medicine, healthcare technology, and other health-related fields. The fund was created to support BuzzRx’s mission to help build healthier communities by investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals. All applicants demonstrated their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of their communities through a 500-word essay and accompanying video, which were evaluated by BuzzRx’s Scholarship Committee, comprising experienced healthcare professionals and members of the company’s senior leadership team.

“The Bee Healthy Scholarship is a natural extension of BuzzRx’s commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. Supporting access to affordable education is essential to strengthening the pipeline of healthcare professionals for years to come, and in turn, securing a healthy future for everyone,” said Matthew Herfield, Co-Founder and CEO of BuzzRx.

Thank you to everyone who applied—there were so many inspiring submissions, which instill confidence that our future healthcare will be in great hands with the next generation of providers.

The 2025 Bee Healthy Scholarship Winners

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Cynthia Mendoza, physician assistant candidate, class of 2026 (Red Rocks Community College PA Program, Arvada, Colorado)

Cynthia Mendoza is a passionate public health advocate and aspiring physician assistant committed to improving healthcare access in underserved communities. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, she earned a double major in Integrative Physiology and Psychology, along with a certificate in Public Health. Her academic foundation reflects a lifelong dedication to service, equity, and community empowerment.

Throughout college, Cynthia gained hands-on experience as a medical assistant and phlebotomy technician at the campus medical clinic, while also serving as Co-President of Pi Lambda Chi Latina Sorority, Inc., where she promoted education and civic engagement. Her commitment to community health deepened during her 2016 Alternative Spring Break in Atlanta, where she volunteered with the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition to support individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

While preparing to apply to PA school, Cynthia became an EMT and worked as a high school teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic. She later served as a behavioral health advocate and family medicine medical assistant in a federally qualified health center serving medically underserved communities, further broadening her clinical expertise and deepening her commitment to patient care.

Inspired by her humble beginnings and strong family values, Cynthia lives by the mantra, “It’s a great day to be alive,” and believes in the power of small acts to create lasting impact. She hopes to use her future career to serve socially disadvantaged populations and address global health disparities with compassion and purpose.

Watch Cynthia’s video submission and read her essay below.

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Joyance Liao Mendoza, pharmacist candidate, class of 2026 (The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy)

Joyance Liao Mendoza is a third-year PharmD student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he also earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and completed certificates in Forensic Science and Medical Spanish.

With over four years as a Pharmacy Technician at Walgreens and past experience as a science journalist for The Daily Texan, Joyance has combined communication and clinical skills to fuel his passion for pharmacy. He’s a recipient of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund award and actively supports inclusion through his role on the Opportunity and Belonging Standing Committee.

His interests in drug development and public health have led him to a summer fellowship with the FDA and service as a JRCOSTEP at Phoenix Indian Medical Center, focusing on Native American health. He is driven to improve healthcare outcomes in underserved and minority communities.

Watch Joyance’s video submission and read his essay below.

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Lillian J. Lee, physician candidate, class of 2027 (CUNY School of Medicine, New York, NY)

Lillian J. Lee is a medical student at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at CUNY, where she earned her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences summa cum laude and now continues in the M.D. program. Her dedication to healthcare equity was shaped by her work as a 911 Emergency Medical Technician, where years of overnight shifts in underserved New York City communities exposed health disparities and inspired her pursuit of systemic change.

She serves as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative for the Association of Women Surgeons, supporting efforts to address gender and racial disparities in surgical education and leadership. She is also the founding President of her school’s Doctors Without Borders and Socially Responsible Surgery chapters. Through these roles, Lillian leads efforts to expand global access to care, promote culturally informed practices, and advocate for marginalized communities both locally and abroad.

This foundation in service and equity informs the research Lillian leads, which focuses on improving surgical access and outcomes for children worldwide, particularly those affected by biliary atresia, a rare but life-threatening liver condition in infants. Her work aims to advance pediatric surgical care through innovation, international collaboration, and a strong commitment to patient-centered care.

Watch Lillian’s video submission and read her essay below.

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Peggy Randon, physician candidate, class of 2030 (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program [MD-PhD], Nashville, Tennessee)

Peggy is a medical student in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. as part of the Class of 2030. She is a proud University of Michigan alumna, graduating with high honors in Microbiology for her thesis on the mechanisms of checkpoint inhibitor cancer immunotherapy.

Before medical school, Peggy was an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where she expanded her research interests at the intersection of immunology and health equity. Her work is deeply informed by a desire to draw connections between pressing public health issues and systemic injustices in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Originally from Detroit, Peggy has facilitated creative arts workshops in juvenile detention centers and pediatric hospitals, helped launch a pro bono record expungement program at Michigan Law, and led a Southeast Michigan campaign initiative supported by the Davis Projects for Peace and the Clinton Global Initiative.

Peggy is passionate about leveraging scientific research and inclusive healthcare to serve and uplift historically marginalized communities—seeing both as essential tools for justice, healing, and liberation.

Watch Peggy’s video submission and read her essay below.

We are honored to celebrate these impressive individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact on their communities and are dedicating their careers to the health and well-being of others. We look forward to seeing how they continue to be a collective force for good by promoting access to quality care as they advance their education and grow in their respective professions.

The next entry period for the BuzzRx Bee Healthy Scholarship will open for applications in early 2026, with awards funding the fall 2026 semester. Eligible students can learn about the scholarship program, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, at buzzrx.com/scholarships.

Cynthia Mendoza Essay Submission:

"I can see it, and I’m almost there, oops, I might have slipped, but I’m good... except I think I got something on me,” said an 8-year-old girl as she reached for a stuffed animal inside a green dumpster. Her twin held the bike steady until she screamed, “You’re bleeding!” The girl looked down to see a piece of metal lodged in her abdomen and blood pouring out. Paralyzed by fear and pain, she couldn’t move. Her twin, Gemma, ran back to get their mother, who pulled her out of the dumpster.

That girl was me.

I don’t remember much after being rescued, but I do remember my mother’s panic, switching between tears and frustration, as though she might throw a chancla at me at any second. English wasn’t her first language, and my father, while present, worked multiple jobs and was rarely home. Between the financial strain and language barriers, getting medical attention wasn’t easy. Somehow, my mother stopped the bleeding. And yes, I’m still tetanus-free.

We didn’t have much growing up, but it never felt like a burden. Our home was full of love, resilience, and resourcefulness. That foundation shaped who I am, and the provider I strive to become. Someone who doesn’t judge based on what’s missing, but who recognizes strength in every patient’s story.

That experience, scary and confusing at the time, was my first glimpse into how deeply access to care is shaped by circumstance. Today, I’m a second-year Physician Assistant student with a passion for serving families like my own: working-class, underserved, and resilient.

Currently, I’m completing a clinical rotation in Cortez, Colorado, a small town where I work with Southwest Medical Group to serve a large Native American community. The clinic has a financial assistance policy that supports uninsured or underinsured patients whose household incomes fall within certain percentages of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. It’s inspiring to be part of a team that is committed to eliminating barriers and delivering care to those who might otherwise go without.

Before and during PA school, I’ve had the privilege of working with rural communities, immigrant families, and incarcerated individuals. I’ve seen firsthand how trust, language, and culture influence care. My goal is to be the kind of provider who not only delivers excellent medical care but also builds meaningful connections with patients who often feel unseen.

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I think often of my mother’s face that day, equal parts fear and helplessness, and how different that moment might’ve been if she’d had someone she trusted in health care. I want to be that person for others.

Whether it’s advocating for a patient in a rural clinic, translating medical jargon for a worried parent, or simply showing up consistently, I believe these small moments are how real, lasting change begins.

Joyance Liao Mendoza Essay Submission:

Some memories stay lodged in your bones. For me, it’s the image of my ten-year-old self, standing on tiptoes at a pharmacy counter, trying to translate a medication label for my parents in English—a language I was still learning. The pharmacist spoke fast. My mom looked nervous. My face burned with embarrassment. To anyone else, it might’ve seemed like nothing. But to me, that moment meant everything. It was the day I realized how fragile health can be when it’s filtered through language barriers, tight budgets, and forgotten zip codes.

I grew up in a tight-knit Hispanic community near the Texas-Mexico border. People didn’t have much, but they shared what they had. A trip to the doctor was sometimes traded for gas or groceries. Healthcare wasn’t a right; it was a gamble. I saw inequality not as an abstract idea, but in the shape of my cousin skipping her asthma meds, or a neighbor ignoring symptoms because there was no one to help.

That’s why I chose pharmacy. Not just to dispense prescriptions, but to rewrite those stories. Last summer, I had that chance through the U.S. Public Health Service’s COSTEP program at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center in Arizona. At the SAGE Clinic, I worked with Native American patients—many from remote indian reservations and from the LGBTQ+ community. They weren’t just under-resourced; they were often invisible.

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We started noticing patients missing appointments, not out of apathy, but because they didn’t have transportation or enough to eat. So I helped launch a pilot program offering small stipends to offset those barriers. It wasn’t much. But it was enough to say, “We see you.” And it worked. People came back. Blood pressure improved. More importantly, patients returned not just because they needed care, but because they felt cared for.

Then the Mpox outbreak hit. There was no protocol, no roadmap—just fear. I helped draft interim guidelines and counseled patients who were overwhelmed and anxious. It wasn’t glamorous work. But it was real. In the middle of that chaos, something rare happened: trust. And in communities that have been repeatedly failed, trust is everything.

Now, as a first-generation PharmD student at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, I’m still pushing. As Chair of Opportunity and Belonging, I’ve worked to make our program not just diverse on paper, but inclusive in practice. Through the Hispanic Association of Pharmacists, I help lead health screenings and outreach in Latino neighborhoods that closely resemble the one where I grew up.

This work isn’t finished. I’m not chasing symbolic change; I want tangible structural change. If this scholarship brings me even one step closer to that, it won’t just support my education. It will help me build a bridge from where I come from to where I’m determined to go in my community and beyond.

Lillian J. Lee Essay Submission:

As a child, I prayed for a Willy Wonka golden ticket, not for unlimited chocolate, but to save Dad. When my father battled hepatitis C and heart disease, each day was a quiet countdown. I thought dads would stay strong forever. But mine stopped carrying me, and his three “I love you” squeezes grew weaker. I was desperate to save Dad. I would give him water in my Ariel cup, hoping he’d grow back like a plant. I remember life insurance agents taking his blood pressure, and Mom locking herself in the bathroom to silently cry. I always heard her. At five, I believed “life insurance” meant making sure someone stayed alive. I couldn’t understand how something that sounded so hopeful could bring so much pain.

Witnessing my family’s mounting medical debt and delayed care showed me that our struggles weren’t unique, and it sparked my passion for healthcare and advocacy for underserved communities. I began canvassing for universal healthcare and became a licensed 911 NYC EMT at 18 to support families facing the same barriers we once did.

Today, I carry that mission as a medical student and EMT between two hives: academic medicine and EMS. By day, I study disease. By night, I treat it in East New York and Brownsville, where poverty and limited care persist. Here I’ve carried children from fires, shielded domestic violence victims, and revived the dying. These emergencies echo my own story, so I care for patients the way I once wished someone would care for Dad. I tape medications to light switches, leave notes to remind dementia patients to stay home, and teach caregivers basic life-saving skills. These small acts build trust and time. Yet with each call, regardless of quality care, I began seeing a pattern: bystanders wanted to help but didn’t know how. That gap between early intervention and EMS arrival was costing lives.

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That realization sparked LEND, the Life-saving Emergency Network Device, a mobile app I’m building to provide multilingual, offline, step-by-step emergency guidance. Designed for accessibility, it includes visual instructions, audio cues, and a nearby hospital locator. Through LEND, I aim to equip communities to respond confidently so anyone, anywhere, can lend a hand when it matters most. It is where my two hives converge: the urgency of EMS and the structure of medical training. It reflects every patient I’ve knelt beside and every lesson I’ve studied. I realized I couldn’t keep flying between these worlds; I had to build a bridge between knowledge and action so others could act too. Bees are not defined by where they nest, but by their flight and what they return with.

Growing up, I dreamed a golden ticket could save my loved ones, but I later realized I was never meant to receive it. I was meant to create it. Through LEND and my future as a physician, I hope to hand that golden ticket to others, so no child is left waiting, like I was, wondering if help will arrive.

Peggy Randon Essay Submission:

Empty wine bottles hidden in basement drawers, calls from jail, and listening to the voice of God even when it posed a threat to our lives—these were signs that my older brother, Mark, was in desperate need of mental healthcare. However, before he was diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia, Mark was just my best friend. Surrounded by dilapidated buildings, with no malls, theaters, or schoolmates nearby, our childhood home in Detroit was like a prism held to the outside world. We would flip wooden stools on their sides and transform them into spaceships. Big boxes became other planets, and we guided each other through our imaginations. We also bonded over our autoimmune conditions—his vitiligo and my alopecia areata—and indulged our parents' home remedies with skeptical optimism. Unlike me, however, Mark was ridiculed for intrinsic qualities rather than dermatological ones—for not looking people in the eye, jumping and running in sporadic intervals, and being easily distractible. Still, no one denied his wit and insatiable curiosity. Therefore, it was sad when his options for treatment were neglected, and so was Mark, in his increasingly precarious state of mind. My hope for my brother's rehabilitation sparked my undying path toward scientific communication and social justice advocacy.

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The start of my college career overlapped with the first day Mark was hospitalized. I found myself gravitating to the people and places reminding me of home. I volunteered in Detroit to teach visual art to young men suffering from mental ailments and turning their lives around while incarcerated. In addition, I joined an immuno-oncology research project through Michigan Medicine, hoping to understand the mechanisms underlying autoimmune symptoms that Mark and I displayed as children. My most touching memories came during my junior year when a nursing student and I established a creative arts organization to engage patients with artistic outlets as they overcame psychiatric illnesses. While there, I could not help smiling as 8-year-old girls played caricatures of themselves traveling beyond hospital walls in games like "Captain's Coming", and I felt gratitude during patients' reflections in "rose, bud, thorn" exercises. It made sense that I saw my brother in every portrait painted with the detained men; in the immunological discoveries made in the lab; and in all the charades played on the children's hospital floor. It was cathartic to discover the role of emotional validation in improving health, as well as the prescriptive and social tools that Mark could have benefited from before his health deteriorated. The boundary between my personal, declarative world and the scientific, interrogative one had swiftly collapsed at the fault lines of medicine.

At Vanderbilt, I have continued my commitment to uplifting the marginalized communities, representing those I love most. My excitement for medicine is like a hand reaching back into my childhood imagination, reminding me that there are galaxies still yet to be discovered. Or the consoling words I needed after returning home from the hospital without my best friend, telling me one day I would find the courage to make a difference.

View Peggy’s artwork.