For as long as she can remember, 16-year-old Saniya Chandy has been drawn to medicine—especially the kind of human-centered care that helped her family through a difficult period. After her parent suffered a chronic injury, she realized, “I want to help families and everyday people who are going through struggles. This is my passion, helping other people overcome what our family overcame.”
That commitment has shaped her path at American Canyon High School and through dual-enrollment at Napa Valley College. She has completed enrichment programs with UC Davis School of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente Vallejo, and volunteers with the American Red Cross and Mentis Teen Council Napa—experiences that have strengthened her interest in psychiatry and her resolve to pursue a medical career.
But it was a film studies assignment that unexpectedly opened the door to her biggest opportunity yet. While researching Eleanor Coppola’s work, Saniya discovered Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Coppola Family Travel Scholarship. “I came across the Coppola Family Travel Scholarship, and it was an amazing opportunity to go abroad and explore something that I’m really interested in,” she said.
While reviewing the scholarship requirements, she also found a two-week medicine program at The Queens College at Oxford University in England—an immersive experience offering advanced clinical training and exposure to global medical education. “I found the scholarship first, but then I found the Oxford program,” she explained.
The possibility of combining the two—a dream program and the financial support to make it possible—set her on a three-week application sprint. “It was a long process, but it was really worth it because I was really committed to going.”
Exploring Medicine at Oxford
At Oxford Brookes Hospital’s simulation lab, students practiced a range of hands-on clinical skills with final year medical students. “We practiced CPR, sterilizing wounds, how to bandage a hematoma, how to manage a patient having a stroke or a heart attack,” she said. “They had mannequins that would have a heartbeat inside, almost simulating a real patient.”
She also gained insight into medical education abroad. “I learned about their application process, the UCAT, and got a lot of advice,” she said. “It was great to meet peers from across the globe… even though we have different backgrounds, we all have the same goal in medicine.”
Moments She’ll Never Forget
Not everything at Oxford was academic. One favorite memory involved an afternoon boating on the river. “Our boat got stuck, and we had to improvise an ‘emergency landing,’” she said. The mishap turned into a bonding moment—and a story she still loves to tell.
Earning the Coppola Scholarship
Earning the Coppola Family Travel scholarship award didn’t just enhance the experience—it made it possible.
“The scholarship definitely made it possible,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to go to London until maybe I was in college… being able to travel abroad as a high school student is a big privilege, and I’m really grateful for it.”
She hopes more Napa County students take the leap when applications open in January 2026. “Definitely apply. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste—you never know what could happen,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what background you come from as long as you can share your story, what makes you you. That’s what the Foundation is really looking for.”
About the Scholarship
The Coppola Family Travel Scholarship was established by the late Eleanor Coppola, who was deeply dedicated to encouraging young people to explore the world. She believed that travel and education open doors to perspective, confidence, and possibility—especially for students who might not otherwise have the chance to study abroad. Her vision lives on through this scholarship, which helps Napa County high school students pursue transformative summer enrichment programs in the U.S. or Europe, broadening their understanding of both themselves and the world around them.
