Giving in Action: Honoring a family’s passion for education
The Helene and Ralph Parnes Scholarship has not only given Curt Parnes, MD’82, the opportunity to recognize his parents for their dedication to his education, but also to celebrate the life of his late wife, Susan, who passed away in February 2024, just months after she and Parnes established the new scholarship.
The couple met when Susan visited her brother at college in Pennsylvania, where he and Curt were freshmen dorm buddies. Curt and Susan married a few years later, in 1980, following her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania. They went on to have two children together, Danielle and Leah. Susan was a certified architect, designed jewelry, and in recent years, she even learned cake decorating. She volunteered with organizations such as Icing Smiles, which provides custom cakes for children impacted by critical illness.
Curt is a pediatrician in the Philadelphia area and has been in private practice for nearly 40 years. He eagerly embraces his work, especially caring for the children of his previous patients.
He and his sister, Cindy Parnes, MD’85, describe their parents, Helene and Ralph Parnes, as “exceptionally smart.” Their father worked in the insurance industry, and their mother pushed him to open his own agency, which still operates to this day. Their other sister and her son now work for the family business.
“Despite them not being college educated, our parents made sure all of us were,” Cindy said. “We are where we are today because of them.”
After completing his undergraduate degree at Franklin & Marshall College, Curt explored options for medical school.
“I was accepted by other institutions, but in the end, there was really no choice,” he said. “I was going to Vanderbilt, where students received quality education and support. We knew that when we graduated we would be competitive with graduates from any other medical school.”
While attending Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, the Parnes siblings made memorable connections with faculty members including the late Philip Felts, BA’52, MD’56.
“During one of my first nights at Vanderbilt, my entire class was at the dean’s house,” Curt said. “Dr. Felts greeted me by name and talked with me. He knew where I was from, and he knew every other person in the class. I then understood that Vanderbilt was a warm place to be. Medical school is hard work, and knowing the faculty and administration had our backs made a difference.”
Curt is proud of how the School of Medicine has continued to push boundaries and prepare current students through volunteerism and other accomplishments.
“Vanderbilt put me on my lifelong career path,” he said. “That’s why Susan and I gave back over the years. Our goal in creating this fund was to ease the financial burden for future generations of aspiring physicians by helping them to overcome barriers and pursue their dreams.”
The Parnes’ gift will also contribute to the university’s Dare to Grow fundraising campaign, which aims to increase access and crucial scholarship support for Vanderbilt students.
– by Payton Baggett Reynolds