(Ito Conti & Ike Pahm)
We are proud to announce that Karel Lianne Ramos is a recipient of the 2026 UPAA-W Guansing-Regala Scholarship Award, receiving a $500 scholarship toward her four-year college degree.
Born in the Philippines, Karel moved to Germantown, Wisconsin, in 2022. Her father is a nurse, while her mother works as a clinical auditor.
Karel graduated from Germantown High School in June 2026 with an impressive 3.911 GPA, ranking 35th out of 290 students. In recognition of her academic achievements, she was inducted into the Germantown Chapter of the National Honor Society and was named to the Principal’s Honor Roll. She also received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, AP Seminar and Research Certificate, and Academic Letter Award. Her ACT composite superscore was 33.
Throughout high school, Karel distinguished herself not only academically but also through leadership, research, and community involvement. She competed in HOSA–Future Health Professionals in Grades 10, 11, and 12. She served as Communications Director of the Key Club in Grades 11 and 12 and as President of the Asian Cultural Exchange Club during those same years.
Karel was also part of a two-person research team that participated in the Conrad Challenge and earned the Conrad Innovator Award. Beyond school, she volunteered as a Tagalog-English translator for TED, the nonprofit media organization known for making talks and ideas accessible worldwide. She also served as an intern with the Advanced Medicine & Public Health Leadership Initiatives at Georgetown University.
In her personal essay describing her aspirations to help revolutionize medical research, Karel wrote:
“Healthcare is a fundamental right, and with science and compassion, we can ensure it is accessible to everyone, regardless of capacity to pay. In the future, I plan to use biochemical research and data-driven analysis to lower the costs of pathologic diagnosis methods and advocate for early disease protection.”
Karel is currently a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry on a pre-MD/PhD path. Her goal reflects a passion for combining scientific research, medicine, and service to improve healthcare and make it more accessible.
Karel expressed her gratitude for being selected for the award and for the support it provides as she begins her college education:
“This scholarship will directly support my studies at UW–Madison this fall and will significantly reduce the financial burden on my parents.”
Congratulations, Karel! UPAA-W wishes you continued success as you begin this exciting new chapter at UW–Madison and pursue your aspirations in science, medicine, and research.plishments and look forward to all the great things ahead.