Roberta Cheever knows the true meaning of determination.

Though she was born with birth defects that resulted in 70 surgical procedures throughout her lifetime, including hip and shoulder replacements, she refused to let that define her. In the 1960s, Cheever was a member of the team that wrote the first computer program for long-distance phone calling.

“You have to be determined to get what you want in life,” Cheever says. “You’ll find a way to get around your problems if you’re thoughtful about it. I was trained to think outside of the box. Growing up handicapped, I learned what I could and couldn’t do. I learned I could do things that maybe other people couldn’t.”

Much like Cheever channeled her strengths in the face of adversity, she created the Herbert and Roberta Cheever Scholarship in hopes of inspiring the next generation of physicians to pursue their passions no matter the obstacles.

The scholarship is named in memory of her husband, Herbert Cheever, who received care at the UF Health Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration for Parkinson’s before he passed away. Like his wife, Herbert had a mind for engineering – he was one of the first to develop night vision goggles.

In addition to the scholarship she created, Cheever is also one of 82 participants of the Legacy Challenge, a UF College of Medicine scholarship giving campaign. She says the spirit of philanthropy was instilled in her from childhood.

“We were taught to give back and do more for others,” she says. “No matter how bad we had it, someone always had it worse. When I created this scholarship, I thought it would help a student who otherwise wouldn’t get to medical school. I thought that person would be very determined because they’d be looking for ways to get to where they wanted.”

The UF College of Medicine is recruiting alumni and friends to give to the Legacy Challenge, a philanthropic campaign that ensures the best and brightest UF medical and PA students receive a world-class education, creating a lasting impact for future generations. With generous support from grateful patients like Roberta Cheever and dozens of UF College of Medicine alumni, the campaign needs only 12 more donors to reach its goal of 100 participants. So far, $24 million has been raised of the $30 million goal. There are three ways to join the Legacy Challenge: make a gift of $5,000 annually for four years to support the education of UF medical students, make a bequest or endow your own named scholarship.