Flinn Scholars join Engineering to realize dreams of improving lives
Three undergraduate students find purpose in biomedical and aerospace degrees.
Flinn Scholars (from left) Roselyn Dorell, Oliver Hoerth and Jeanette Mendoza enroll at the College of Engineering with the goal of doing meaningful work.
Three of Arizona’s brightest students began their studies at the University of Arizona College of Engineering this fall as Flinn Scholars, bringing with them a passion for exploration and service.
“I knew I wanted to study engineering, somewhere I could jump into hands-on research and be part of a real community,” said Oliver Hoerth, Flinn Scholar and W.A. Franke Honors College student.
“Once I visited campus, I knew U of A was where I wanted to be.”
Hoerth, who graduated from Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix as part of the CREST Bioscience Program, is one of 10 2025 Flinn Scholars — some of the state's highest-achieving high school seniors — who began at the U of A in the fall with full tuition, mandatory fees, housing, meals and more covered, a value of more than $135,000.
For Hoerth, Roselyn Dorell and Jeanette Mendoza, it’s not just about the scholarship – it’s about making a difference for Arizonans.
Two aim to improve health care
When Hoerth toured the U of A’s biomedical engineering program and the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, he saw unlimited possibilities.
“It was really just an eye-opening experience, and I saw where I could do the research and make a tangible impact,” said Hoerth.
He was particularly impressed with the wearable health monitors being developed in the lab of Philipp Gutruf, associate department head of BME. As a BME major, Hoerth plans to study and explore computer engineering in the Gutruf Lab as it relates to biological systems.
He is also excited to get involved in student clubs like the Biomedical Engineering Society.
“I was drawn to BMES because it would not only teach me essential soft skills such as resume writing, interviewing, leadership and networking,” he said. “But it would also allow me to get further connected with other undergraduates.”
'Since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be an engineer because I loved the idea of critical thinking, problem solving and being creative,' says Flinn Scholar Jeannette Mendoza.
Fellow Flinn Scholar and honors student Jeanette Mendoza plans to leverage her biomedical degree to help people contending with diseases like those that have afflicted family members.
“For me, it's always been important to connect what you do to who you are and what you've experienced. My goal is to find ways to help people with cancer, both for prevention and during treatments,” she said.
The Sunnyside High School graduate watched her friends and family members navigate lupus and cancer throughout her childhood.
In the Peter and Nancy Salter Medical Device Design Lab, students build and test wearable medical devices and sensors. And in a lab run by Shang Song, assistant professor of BME, students are encouraged to conduct research as part of the Cancer Engineering Initiative.
Self-starter looks to outer space
Honors student Roselyn Dorrell hails from Clifton, a town with a population of 3,352.
“In my hometown, there were no STEM programs whatsoever until I helped create them,” she said. “I started the robotics club at my high school. I wanted to create an environment for other kids who shared an interest in STEM but didn't have anywhere to go.”
Now Dorell is looking to the stars for inspiration in aerospace engineering.
“I grew up fascinated with the stars. I would look up every night, wondering what was out there and dreaming of going up there, but I also loved to build stuff,” she said. “Aerospace engineering is where my two passions collided.”
Dorrell’s family was instrumental in her decision to become a Wildcat. Her mother graduated from the U of A with a bachelor’s in cellular and molecular biology and a master’s in clinical systems leadership.
“My dad also loves space and would teach me about different constellations and stellar phenomena. If he had gotten a degree, it would have been in astronomy,” she said.
Ultimately, Dorrell hopes to design rockets at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
She plans to join student organizations that connect her with industry professionals – including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Rocket Club, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – while taking specialized AME courses.
