Looking back, the text still brings Caitlin Upchurch to tears.
It’s been almost four years since she and Morgan Grzybowski first met in Dr. Lee Winchester’s research lab during their freshman year at The University of Alabama. It’s been five months since Morgan was crowned homecoming queen and a little longer since she made a promise to promote one of Caitlin’s biggest passions.
Each year, the UA homecoming queen selects a campus organization to receive support from the Homecoming Queen Endowed Impact Fund, which was established by Cathy Young and Mike Buhai in honor of their daughter Katie, who was named homecoming queen in 2018.
For Morgan, supporting Caitlin’s cause couldn’t have been a clearer decision.
Caitlin founded the Remote Area Medical (RAM) chapter at UA during the spring of her sophomore year in 2024. The non-profit organization provides free dental, vision and medical care through mobile pop-up clinics around the United States.
By the end of the spring semester, RAM at UA will have reached eight remote area clinics in the Alabama area, bringing roughly 100 people to those clinics. That growth is set to continue, thanks to some help from Morgan and a $1,500 donation from the Homecoming Queen Endowed Impact Fund.
Morgan’s decision to select RAM as this year’s beneficiary for the endowment was based on her belief in the non-profit’s vision, as well as her friend Caitlin’s passion to grow the chapter at UA.
“I’ve watched her start this organization from the ground up, and it’s really taken off,” Morgan said. “Their entire mission is to spread healthcare into rural areas that don’t have the means to access the healthcare that they need. They go in, and they drive and volunteer all over from Tennessee to other places in Alabama and the surrounding areas. They’ve truly made a difference in the areas that don’t have the healthcare they need. And they do it just out of the kindness of their heart. I’m just really excited to watch them continue to grow.”
Morgan presented Caitlin with a check for the endowment during a ceremony on the Quad in April. However, her commitment to RAM has been in the works since the fall.
“I still remember Morgan texting me one day and she was like, ‘Hey, I’m running for homecoming queen, and I’d really like to give the endowment fund [earnings] to you guys,’” Caitlin said. “Whenever I read that, I was so excited. I responded in all caps, like ‘OMG Morgan, this is crazy! Thank you so much.’
“The money is amazing. We’re going to put it toward doing so many great things for the growth of our organization. But it’s also just the connections and people reading our name. Being able to have people be like, ‘Oh, I’m pre-med or pre-dental or pre-nursing optometry, or I know someone who is pre-health. How can I get involved in this organization?’ I think from so many different angles, this is going to be such a big thing for our organization.”
Caitlin said the endowment will help RAM’s expansion across campus. The chapter is also looking to eventually host its own remote-area medical clinic in Tuscaloosa or in a nearby area.
“I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to give back to them this way,” Morgan said. “That was literally one of the big reasons why I wanted to run for homecoming queen was giving back. My whole platform, I wanted to really give back to the community. The fact that I’m giving back to where we can provide volunteers to provide healthcare is great. But also just giving back to one of my best friends has been amazing.”
Morgan, a biology major from Wildwood, Missouri, is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Along with being named homecoming queen, she co-founded the Alabama Women’s Hockey Team. She also leads Dare to Diagnose, an organization of pre-health students that focuses on patient simulations. Morgan is set to attend medical school following her graduation in May.
Caitlin, a Pearland, Texas native and member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, is majoring in biology. She is also graduating in May and is set to attend Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
“It’s great to see how much both of us have grown,” Caitlin said. “Morgan’s been doing all this really cool stuff. And then her being able to turn back and support me through what she’s won and being able to give us this endowment [earnings] is really special. This is going to help us so much. I’m excited to see the difference we are going to be able to make.”
