Page 13 - 2021 AUC Commencement Program

CHELSEA AZEVEDO, MD RICO BARRANON, MD

STUDENT SPEAKER STUDENT SPEAKER

Since Dr. Chelsea Azevedo’s first day in Sint Maarten, she has felt a drive to serve her community. She Dr. Rico Barranon was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Tampa, Florida. He studied biology
feels lucky to have been given the chance to become the first doctor in her family, and giving back was at Florida State University and earned his master’s degree from the University of South Florida. Dr.
a small way to show her gratitude. Barranon is married to his wife Belinda and has a one-year-old son and 11-year-old Yorkie poodle.

After experiencing the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma with her classmates, Dr. Azevedo stepped While at AUC, Dr. Barranon served as President of the SGA and worked with students and deans who
up to provide leadership and representation for the student body. She acted as the SGA Preston went above and beyond to manage the response to Hurricane Irma, the evacuation from Sint Maarten,
Chairwoman, serving as a voice for her peers when discussing the student experience and academics, and relocation to Preston, UK and back to island. He is incredibly proud of his fellow students for what
and maintaining regular communication with her classmates. When COVID-19 emerged, Dr. Azevedo they have achieved together in the face of adversity and is eternally grateful to his close friends, family,
took an active role in helping her classmates navigate clinical sciences. As a clinical site representative, and especially his wife, without whom he could never have accomplished his dream of becoming a
her goal was to not only represent the students at her own clinical site, but also go above and beyond doctor. This summer, Dr. Barranon will begin his family medicine residency at Florida State University
to provide information to students at all clinical sites. College of Medicine at BayCare in Winter Haven, Florida.

Dr. Azevedo earned Dean’s List recognition during all five semesters of medical sciences and is
a recipient of the Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP) Advancer Scholarship, Student
Engagement Award, and Academic Excellence Awards in Pathology, Physiology, and Neuroscience. Dr.
Azevedo also served as Secretary of Alpha Omega Phi Honors & Service Society, President of AUC’s
chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), and co-founder of the Baton Rouge
chapter of #HappyPeriod. She has tutored for every medical sciences course at AUC, served as Head
Teaching Assistant (TA) for Anatomy and Harvey TA, and published and presented research in multiple
journals and conferences. This summer, Dr. Azevedo will begin her internal medicine residency at
Creighton University in Phoenix, Arizona.