University of Connecticut alumna Jacqueline R. Satchell (‘90), who was known by friends and family as “Dr. Jackie,” worked as a medical professor at the Yale School of Medicine where she directed the VA Womens Veterans Program. A year after her passing in 2020, the Jacqueline R. Satchell Foundation was created to honor Satchell’s legacy.
“[The JRS foundation] was established in 2021 to help youth in underserved communities pursue their purpose,” said the foundation’s executive director Oneil Williams, one of Satchell’s brothers. “Dr. Satchell was consummately invested in education and empowerment of others and the foundation plans to continue her legacy.”
High school and college students who participate in an essay writing contest can qualify for a scholarship. According to the foundation’s website, the foundation “intends to make a scholarship opportunity available at all alma maters of Dr. Jacqueline R. Satchell.” However, students of any institution are eligible to apply for scholarships.
So far, the foundation has awarded a total of two scholarships, one of which was in Kingston, Jamaica (Satchell’s birthplace), and the other in New Haven (where she lived).
The foundation is looking to soon run camps that will connect students with mentors to empower and encourage them to become leaders, according to Williams.
“[The JRS foundation] was established in 2021 to help youth in underserved communities pursue their purpose.”
Oneil Williams, JRS foundation executive director
“As we grow the organization, we plan to host empowerment camps where students can be motivated by incredible speakers, as well as each other, and are working on creating a web-based mentorship platform that connects students and mentors both locally and globally,” Williams added.
Satchell’s 54th birthday would have been last week, according to Williams.
Satchell immigrated from Kingston, Jamaica to Connecticut at 17 years old, as written on her obituary page. After high school, she attended the University of Connecticut until her graduation in 1990, where she received a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Chemistry. Satchel then earned a Doctorate of Medicine at the Temple University School of Medicine (1995).
After graduating from medical school, Satchel did a three-year residency at Yale University School of Medicine. Later on, she worked in private practice and eventually became the Women’s Health Clinic Medical Director of the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in West Haven, Connecticut.
Aside from scholarships, the JRS foundation also seeks both volunteers to assist with mentoring at camps and donors to contribute to the foundation. More information can be found on the organization’s website.
