In May 2026, as Frieda Garcia Radzyminski and John Radzyminski watched their daughter Alexia (Lexi) walk across the stage at the Vanderbilt University Commencement, they kept returning to the same thought: This would not have been possible without Frieda’s dad.
Indeed, the life and career of her father, Francisco Antonio Garcia, MD, speak fully to the power of education. While growing up in the small town of Metapán, El Salvador, where the local school system stopped after primary school, Garcia went out of his way to attend school in a different town so he could continue his studies.
“Having lived in a country that was torn apart by war, my dad experienced situations where things could change — or be taken away — very suddenly,” Frieda Radzyminski said. “From a young age, he understood that your education and experience become part of who you are; no one can take that away from you.”
As a young adult, Garcia’s commitment to education continued. He immigrated to the United States, where he continued his medical training and pursued his residency, later building a successful ophthalmology practice in San Francisco — near where he, his wife and the Radzyminski family live today.
To honor his trajectory, the family decided to establish a scholarship in his name at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2024.
“While Lexi was at Vanderbilt, we thought about my dad embarking on his university studies 70 years ago — how different his options were, and all that he has done to get where he is,” Frieda Radzyminski said. “We knew we wanted to help other students studying medicine follow a similar path.”
While the resulting Francisco Antonio Garcia, MD Scholarship includes an awarding preference for first-generation students who attended high school in Latin America, like Garcia, the family’s goal is to help any student dedicated to medicine. “There is a need for more doctors and improved care across the country, so we want to do our part to support future physicians.”
Their desire to give to Vanderbilt was also strengthened by Lexi Radzyminski’s great experience as an undergraduate at the university, where she majored in Medicine, Health and Society and Spanish, and engaged in transformative study abroad opportunities in Peru and Spain. Together, these experiences inspired her to also pursue her master’s degree at Vanderbilt.
“The university really wants students to thrive, and Vanderbilt has built the support system to make sure that happens,” John Radzyminski said, noting that the couple was also impressed with the leaders they met at the School of Medicine, which offers the same close-knit dynamic and commitment to students’ individual growth.
“Vanderbilt is a fine and exceptional institution, and my dad is a fine and exceptional human being,” Frieda Radzyminski said, regarding their decision to give to the school. “Putting those two together makes sense.”
“Dr. Garcia has done so much for others, and this scholarship is just one small part of his legacy,” John Radzyminski added. “We are happy to honor him in this way.”