The MaKasha Colonvega Memorial Scholarship

We all strive to find those things in life that empower us to reach our goals. MaKasha (Kasha) Colonvega found her empowerment through education. Dr. Colonvega lost her life tragically on December 7, 2009, just one semester short of graduating from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. The MaKasha Colonvega Memorial Scholarship was created to celebrate her memory and her spirit.

Kasha was born in Arkansas and lived there until the age of six when she moved with her mother to Seattle, Washington. Kasha graduated from high school in Seattle and went on to achieve her Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Her insatiable hunger for more lead her to the Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas where she completed her chiropractic curriculum and became a doctor of chiropractic in 2004.

Yearning for more, Kasha continued to work as a research professor at Parker College, becoming well-published in both Chiropractic and Osteopathy and the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. On top of this, Kasha raised her twins while her husband was serving on active duty in the military. Still not satisfied, Kasha made the decision to attend the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center to pursue her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree . As a participant in the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, Kasha also served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army throughout her enrollment in medical school. Kasha excelled in her studies and her home life despite her husband once again being called to active duty in the Army while she was in medical school.

Kasha was an extraordinary person. What you or I may only dream of achieving became reality for Kasha in the thirty-four short years that she was on this earth. Those who knew Kasha admired her vivacious spirit and humble attitude towards others. Despite the many tasks her daily schedule entailed, Kasha would never turn away a fellow colleague in need. While Kasha excelled throughout the first two years of didactics and secured a spot in the top 5% of her class, she always made time for other people. In the last stretch of clinical rotations, Kasha continued to shine by participating in research work in dermatology at the Brooke Army Medical Center, where she hoped to become a resident in training. That research work was ultimately accepted for publication in late 2008. Kasha did all of this—helping others, furthering her education and career, and continuing to be the primary caregiver for her children—while still advocating for her patients.

To her classmates, Kasha will always be remembered as someone who embodied the virtues of service to others, perseverance and hard work, humility, and infectious curiosity. To her family, Kasha was the epitome of unconditional love. Kasha leaves behind her two children and her mother, stepfather and sister as well as many friends and colleagues who love and admire her. She also leaves behind a legacy of dedication to education and a spirit that reminds us that anything is possible.