Donaysia Torbit

Donaysia Torbit, a 2020 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute High School was one of seven local high school students to be named a Ravens Scholar by the Baltimore Ravens professional football team.

Torbit was a research intern in the lab of Sharon Gerecht, direct of the Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT) and professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, between June 2018 and August 2019. Under the mentorship of PhD student Eugenia Volkova, Torbit studied pulmonary arterial vessels of patients with pulmonary hypertension.

The applicants were informed they were recipients via a Zoom call with Torrey Smith, former NFL receiver.

“When I entered the interview via Zoom, I was greeted by individuals from the Raven’s Foundation and was told that I was going to be asked a few more questions by a surprise guest. The surprise guest turned out to be Torrey Smith where he asked me about my passions and future goals. At the end he shocked me by telling me that it was not a follow up and I was actually one of the finalists,” said Torbit.

Torbit plans on studying bioengineering in the upcoming fall at the Universy of Maryland, and is considering pursuing a combined MD/PhD in the future.

“I am very proud of Donaysia’s work as an intern in the Gerecht laboratory. I wish to congratulate her on this incredible achievement and I know she will do amazingly at the University of Maryland, College Park,” said Volkova.

This is the 11th year the Ravens have provided scholarships to local students who attend public school in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Carroll County. Students are picked for their remarkable academic achievement, extra-curricular participation, and community service. Watch the video and read about all the recipients.