Keonnie Parrilla

Keonnie is a first-generation college student from Guatemala City who currently attends the University of Texas at Austin. After applying to dozens of scholarship opportunities, Keonnie was able to obtain a full-ride scholarship through the Terry Foundation. Majoring in both Psychology and Liberal Arts Honors, Keonnie has plenty of experience connecting with people and helping them in any way he can. He mentored students through a variety of avenues such as the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Terry Foundation Student Association, and Liberal Arts Honors Student Association. Additionally, he has done cross-cultural research in UT Austin’s Evolution, Variation, and Ontogeny of Learning Lab to study the development of in-group/out-group bias in children.

Specifically, Keonnie has a lot of experience in the medical field. He has completed two paid internships at both the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Long School of Medicine in San Antonio. He works as the JAMP Ambassador, which is a program to help high-qualified but financially-disadvantaged minority students achieve their dreams of becoming health care professionals. He will begin medical school in the Fall as a part of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School’s class of 2023. The ultimate goal for Keonnie is to specialize in general surgery and work in underserved communities to help bridge the gaps of healthcare disparities.

In his free time, Keonnie enjoys concert festivals, outdoor activities like hiking or kayaking, and playing soccer at his university. He loves volunteering, giving back to the community, playing sports, finding new music, and trying all the great food spots around Austin Texas.