Title:‘This scholarship enabled me to choose Georgetown’

About the Panarelli Scholarship

Joseph Panarelli, M.D. (B’03, M’07) always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but growing up in a family with modest financial means, he had concerns about the substantial costs of medical education.

“The pressure of a lifelong financial burden can compromise your career decisions because you are always cognizant of your future debt,” Panarelli says.

But the moment Panarelli received a need-based Ruggles Scholarship to attend the Georgetown University School of Medicine, he started thinking of ways to pay the generosity forward.

“To have somebody ease your pain or lighten your load is the ultimate act of kindness,” Panarelli said. “I decided that I would do the same for someone else the first chance I got. I gave half of my first bonus check to my kids and half to starting the scholarship.”

Panarelli, who is a Medical Alumni Board member and chair of the Fundraising Committee, recently hosted a reception for the School of Medicine with his wife, Nicole Panarelli, M.D. (C’03), at their home. 

“Nicole and I, we know we’re supporting a great institution that trains the best students and residents in the country,” Panarelli says. “We’re proud of that.”