Class of 2025: Neena O’Mara finds purpose through service and a future in medicine
O’Mara is heading to medical school as an Outstanding Senior in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise and a recipient of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Madelynn Todd Trailblazer Award.
Name: Neena O’Mara
Degree/Major: Human nutrition, foods, and exercise
Hometown: Montgomery, New Jersey
Plans after graduation: Attending medical school at Vanderbilt University
Favorite Hokie memory: When students she gave tours to as a Hokie Ambassador approach her on campus. “I have had students tell me that I played a role in their decision to attend Virginia Tech.”
O’Mara didn’t start college planning to become a doctor. In fact, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study.
“I came in undecided and thought maybe I’d go into environmental science,” she said. “Medicine felt like a path my parents had taken, not necessarily my own.”
But after traveling to Ghana with Virginia Tech’s chapter of Global Medical Brigades and joining the Christiansburg Rescue Squad her freshman year, she knew that working in patient care was in her future.
In the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (HNFE), she found a community that matched her passion with purpose.
“The No. 1 thing about HNFE is the community,” she said. “There really is no other place in which you can find people that are so passionate, supportive, and uplifting. The friends and mentors I’ve found here genuinely care about you and want you to succeed.”
O’Mara is graduating with a 4.0 GPA, the department’s Outstanding Senior Award, the college’s Global Visionary Award, and 10 medical school acceptances.
Serving patients at home and abroad
O’Mara served for two years as the president of Virginia Tech’s chapter of Global Medical Brigades, where she led fundraising efforts and helped organize trips to Ghana, Guatemala, and Panama.
During those weeklong medical missions, she helped staff mobile clinics that served more than 1,000 patients and facilitated over 100 public health workshops — efforts aimed at long-term, sustainable health education in underserved communities.
“You can’t really understand global health until you’re immersed in it,” she said. “It gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to provide care.”
Altogether, she dedicated more than 750 hours to Global Medical Brigades and mentored dozens of students following similar paths.
As an EMT and member of Christiansburg Rescue Squad for the past three years, O’Mara worked over 2,500 hours and responded to more than 800 calls.
“Working with the medically underserved populations of Christiansburg was the catalyzing experience for my interest in medical school, informing my goal of becoming a community educator alongside the clinical responsibilities of a physician,” she said.
Research leadership
O’Mara spent three years working in the research lab of Jia-Qiang He in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She was able to participate in a number of projects, ranging from frostbite treatments to leading a project that identified a novel mouse model for dilated cardiomyopathy.
“It helped me think beyond what we do in a clinic to why we do it,” she said. “More importantly, I was the lead on these projects, giving me the opportunity to design experiments and manage a team of fellow undergraduates.”
Her research experience — and encouragement from HNFE faculty mentor Deborah Good — led her to apply for and receive the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the nation’s top undergraduate award for students in STEM.
Serving the Hokie community
From tutoring in Virginia Tech’s Integrated Science Curriculum to serving as a Hokie Ambassador, O’Mara has made mentorship a cornerstone of her experience.
“I changed majors early on, so I know how overwhelming it can be,” she said. “Helping other students figure out their own path — that’s been one of the most rewarding parts of college.”
She also served as an undergraduate representative on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council and was recently recommended for the CALS Alumni Organization board.
“This is a community I’ve fallen in love with and the community I call home,” she said. “I will always be a part of it.”
Looking ahead
O'Mara will head to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine this fall. She’s still exploring specialties but knows she wants to work with underserved communities and someday teach at a medical school.
“I love patient care, but I also love mentoring,” she said. “My dream is to serve both my patients and future doctors.”
As she prepares to leave Blacksburg, O’Mara reflects on the culture of support that helped her grow.
“Virginia Tech gave me so much — the people, the opportunities, the belief that I could do something meaningful,” she said. “I’m leaving with a full heart and so much gratitude.”