Opportunity meets ambition

Sairam Balaji was working at a restaurant in Rochester when he stepped away to return a phone call that would change the course of his college experience.

The Rochester Adams High School graduate had applied for the Patrick and Christie Scoggin Foundation Scholarship at Oakland University. When he learned he had been selected as its 15^th recipient, the news left him momentarily speechless.

“I couldn’t really put it into words how much I appreciated it,” he recalled

Balaji knew immediately what the scholarship would mean. He had spent two years working as a busboy and dishwasher during high school and expected to continue working throughout college to help cover his expenses.

Instead, the Scoggin Scholarship is giving him something especially valuable for a student with ambitious plans: time.

It is time he can devote to academics, research, volunteering and the experiences that will prepare him for his ultimate goal of becoming a physician.

And Balaji isn’t wasting any of it.

Even before beginning his first semester at Oakland University, he was looking for ways to become involved in research. He emailed faculty members in search of an opportunity, but when that approach didn’t produce the results he hoped for, he tried something more direct.

He went to Dodge Hall and started knocking on doors.

Balaji introduced himself to faculty members one by one, hoping someone would be willing to give an incoming freshman a chance. Just as he was about to give up and reached the last door, Michael Risner, Ph.D., — an assistant professor in the Department of Foundational Medical Studies — invited him to send a resume. Balaji followed up and his persistence eventually earned him a place in Risner’s lab, where he began contributing to glaucoma research before he had even taken his first OU class.

For a student already committed to a career in medicine, the opportunity was significant.

Knowing that glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness makes the research especially meaningful to him.

“We need to figure out why it’s happening and try to stop it,” Balaji said. “It really means a lot for me to be able to contribute.”

Medicine has been on Balaji’s mind for years. His older brother attends the University of Michigan Medical School, and through him, Balaji had opportunities to talk with physicians and learn about their careers.

“I kind of fell in love with that path myself,” he said.

That interest helped draw him to Oakland University, where he is majoring in clinical and diagnostic sciences and is a member of The Donna and Walt Young Honors College. He was attracted to a program he believes will give him greater exposure to a clinical environment than a more traditional biology curriculum. Having the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine on campus was another advantage.

But some of Balaji’s most important preparation for medicine has taken place far outside the classroom.

Over the summer, he completed a certified nursing assistant program, where caring for elderly patients taught him that good health care involves more than completing a list of clinical tasks.

His instructor encouraged students to notice the small things that could make someone feel cared for; combing a patient’s hair, helping someone put on lipstick or simply taking a little extra time to make that person feel valued.

“You know, that would make their day,” Balaji said. “I think it’s more than that. I think it’s a part of making them feel well.”

It is a lesson he wants to remember throughout his career.

Balaji has also volunteered in a Henry Ford emergency department and plans to continue exploring the many possibilities within medicine. Surgery interests him, but for now, he is keeping an open mind about where his interests may ultimately lead.

Established at Oakland University in 2012, the Patrick and Christie Scoggin Foundation Scholarship provides up to $17,000 annually and can be renewed for three additional years. Recipients are selected from Rochester Adams, Rochester, Stoney Creek and Avondale high schools and must demonstrate academic achievement and financial need, among other criteria.

Pat and Christie Scoggin created the scholarship as a way to give back to the Rochester-area community that had supported their family automobile dealership. Their commitment continued after the dealership was sold in 2019. Following Pat’s death in 2020, Christie chose to continue the scholarship and the philanthropic legacy they had built together.

Over the years, their generosity has helped Oakland University students pursue careers in fields ranging from law and engineering to chemistry, art and education. But the Scoggin scholarship has always represented more than financial assistance.

Christie has made a point of getting to know the scholars personally, often maintaining relationships with them and their families long after graduation. The scholarship is an investment not only in a student’s education, but also in what that student might someday do with the opportunity.

“Pat and Christie Scoggin created an extraordinary legacy at Oakland University,” said Michael Westfall, vice president for University Advancement. “Their generosity gives talented students the freedom to fully embrace their education and pursue experiences that can shape both their careers and the lives they will touch. Sairam’s drive, compassion and desire to give back make him an inspiring addition to the Scoggin Scholar family.”

Balaji is already thinking about how he might someday extend that generosity to someone else.

Now, as he begins building his own life at Oakland University, Balaji is looking forward to getting to know Christie and keeping her updated as he progresses through college and, he hopes, medical school.

Someday, he would like to give another student the same kind of freedom the Scoggins have given him.

“If I do end up becoming a doctor, I would love to give back to Oakland University and help other students be able to pursue an education without any stress,” he said.