Introducing the Jazayeri Health Sciences
Student Leadership Program
Expanding opportunities for students at Carrollwood Day School to
explore, lead, and innovate in the health sciences.
For the Jazayeri family, a passion for health sciences is deeply connected to a commitment to making a difference. Their belief in the power of healthcare to transform lives, combined with a strong commitment to philanthropy and supporting the next generation, has inspired a new partnership with Carrollwood Day School that will create meaningful opportunities for students for years to come.
At Carrollwood Day School, students are already exploring what it means to make a difference in medicine and healthcare. Through rigorous academics, leadership development, entrepreneurship education, and healthcare-focused organizations, they are developing the knowledge and mindset needed to become more than healthcare professionals. They are preparing to become the physicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who will help define the future of the field.
Now, through the generosity of the Jazayeri Foundation, CDS is expanding those opportunities with the establishment of the Jazayeri Health Sciences Student Leadership Program, a new endowment designed to support student leadership opportunities in the health sciences. Through the fund, students will have access to regional, national, and international competitions, conferences, and research presentations, giving students the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice while developing confidence, professionalism, teamwork, communication skills, and leadership capacity. For students considering a future in healthcare, those experiences can also provide something equally important: a clearer understanding of where their interests and talents may lead. The endowment represents the first phase of CDS’s long-term vision to provide dedicated support for the Health Science Certificate Initiative, creating a structured pathway for students interested in medicine, healthcare, biomedical research, and related fields.
"The Jazayeri Health Sciences Student Leadership Program gift reflects our family’s belief in the power of education, entrepreneurship, and leadership to create meaningful change. As healthcare entrepreneurs, we have experienced firsthand how an idea, paired with determination, innovation, and the right opportunities, can grow into something that positively impacts the lives of others.
This gift is especially meaningful to us because it allows us to extend those same opportunities to the next generation of students at Carrollwood Day School—encouraging young people to think boldly, develop their ideas, explore healthcare innovation, and see themselves as future entrepreneurs and leaders.
Our hope is to help create an environment where students are empowered not only to imagine what is possible, but also to develop the skills, confidence, and leadership needed to turn those ideas into meaningful impact."
The Jazayeri Family
Connecting Interest With Opportunity
Carrollwood Day School is home to one of the region’s most active chapters of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, with more than 100 students participating each year in healthcare leadership, career exploration, competitive events, and community service. At the same time, CDS’s Entrepreneurship Program focuses students to identify real-world problems and develop innovative solutions through design thinking, business development, and problem-solving.
The connection between these programs creates a unique opportunity. Students interested in healthcare are not only learning about the science behind medicine, they are developing the leadership, communication, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking needed to help shape its future.
The Jazayeri Health Sciences Student Leadership Program will build on that foundation by helping students take their learning beyond the classroom.
Building a Foundation for the Future
As the Jazayeri Health Sciences Student Leadership Program develops, the long-term vision includes opportunities for students to conduct original medical or health science research, gain clinical experience alongside healthcare professionals, earn recognized healthcare certifications, pursue a focused academic concentration, and develop community health projects that address meaningful needs.
Together, these experiences would create a comprehensive pathway for students to explore the health sciences while developing the skills necessary for success in college and beyond.
Students could progress from asking a research question and designing a study to analyzing data and presenting their findings. They could gain firsthand exposure to healthcare through internships, observations, or shadowing experiences. They could earn professional certifications and develop community health initiatives that make a meaningful difference for others.
The goal is not simply to prepare students for a career in medicine, it is to help them understand the many ways they can contribute to the future of healthcare.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders
The future of healthcare will require people who can think beyond what exists today. It will need researchers who ask new questions, entrepreneurs who see opportunities for innovation, and leaders who can bring new ideas to life while keeping the needs of people and communities at the center of their work.
The Jazayeri Health Sciences Student Leadership Program gives CDS students the opportunity to begin developing that mindset now. Through experiences that connect classroom learning with research, leadership, competition, and real-world exploration, students can discover where their interests and ideas can take them and begin to see themselves as contributors to the future of healthcare.
For the Jazayeri Foundation, that opportunity represents a lasting investment in the students who will carry these ideas forward. Their generosity is creating pathways for students to explore what is possible today while preparing them to make an impact in the years ahead.
Through this partnership, the Jazayeri Foundation is investing in more than opportunities for students today. It is helping build a lasting foundation for the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.
For more information on endowment opportunities at Carrollwood Day School, please contact Chief Advancement Officer Felicia Smith at fsmith@cdspatriots.org.