Deerfield-Windsor graduate Frank Middleton pursues biomedical career through international scholarship

ALBANY — Albany native Frank Middleton has becoming a doctor on his list of future goals, but whether that title will be followed by “M.D” or he will pursue a career working on biomedical devices is still up in the air.

The Georgia Institute of Technology freshman will be assisted in his studies with a scholarship that will pay tuition and other college costs for four years as well as the opportunity to study in another country.

Middleton, valedictorian of his 2020 class at Deerfield-Windsor School, was one of 229 students from across the country and among 20 in Georgia who was awarded a Stamps Scholarship from among the more than 320,000 who applied.

Georgia Tech is one of 37 partner universities with the scholarship program, and at most of those the scholarship covers the total estimated cost of attendance and also includes enrichment funds that can be used for academic and professional development, including internships and independent research opportunities in another country. Perhaps the most unique benefit of the Stamps Scholarship is the opportunity for scholars to network with an international community of peers and alumni — from regional conferences and informal meet-ups hosted by partner schools to the biennial Stamps Scholars National Convention.

“It’s really just a great opportunity,” Middleton said during a Thursday telephone interview. “The (scholarship) is obviously great to have and really great for the study-abroad opportunity. I think the best thing is networking. I think that’s the most important thing I’ve seen so far.”

Middleton is majoring in biomedical engineering and is considering several options.

“As of right now I’m considering medical school, but I also might go into biomedical design,” he said.

Typically, applicants for the Stamps Scholarship program, now in its 16th year, go through an initial round of interviews, and finalists travel to their college of choice for a second round of group and individual interviews, Middleton said. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process was a virtual one.

Looking forward to studying abroad, Middleton said he is considering building on the six weeks he spent in Chile while in high school.

“I’m really interested in going to Spain, Spain or another Spanish-speaking country where I can do biomedical research,” he said.

The student thanked his parents, Faison and Kari Middleton, for helping him in pursuing his goals.

“My parents were a huge part of my success growing up,” he said. “They always gave me every opportunity they could afford.”

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