BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer
HAZLET – After participating in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine as a high school student about three years ago, township native DeeVa Frankel is now on her way to South Africa to participate in the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Medicine next month.
Frankel was nominated by a professor at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn., where she is a pre-med major. Besides having the opportunity to go overseas and study medicine as part of her summer plans, Frankel also knows that this program could be a springboard for an even bigger opportunity in a few years.
“Being involved in this program could help out greatly with getting into medical school when the time comes,” Frankel said.
Frankel said she was one of about 25-30 students going to various places in South Africa, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Soweto, to experience the challenges of caring for the growing number of HIV/AIDS patients in the country.
“I’m looking forward to this awesome opportunity that I have. I can’t wait to get over there and learn as much as I can from the medical professionals over there,” said Frankel, who is interested in attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Columbia University or an Ivy League school (“as long as I keep my grades up”).
Frankel’s sister, Dorann Stilwell, is impressed with DeeVa’s outlook.
“For someone of her age to be so involved and so interested in all of this, I think it shows how focused she is and how hard she has worked to get to this point,” Stilwell said.
Frankel has a definite vision of what she wants once her schooling is over.
“I either want to be a dermatologist and open my practice or get involved with neurology,” Frankel said. “I’d love to be that doctor that’s absolutely needed on the scene. I want to be the one that the hospitals call when there’s a huge emergency. I want to be the person that can have such a huge impact on a patient in need.”

