RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A UNR medical student has founded several organizations to raise awareness about organ donation while creating a supportive community.

Skotti Torrence, a third-year medical student at UNR, was recently honored at a Reno Aces Home Run for Life game.

“It was super exciting to have that moment where I could say, yeah, this is something I care about, and everyone in the stadium knew I cared about it,” Torrence said.

In 2018, Torrence attended her first Sierra Donor Awareness Walk. She says it was there that she knew she would become an advocate for organ donation.

“Both the families of the deceased donors and the people who had received the donations were all together laughing, present, alive, and it was all so magical and beautiful,” Torrence described.

Since then, Torrence has founded not one, but two student organizations, all while pursuing a medical degree. Torrence founded Nevada’s first Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) chapter in 2018, and then started the graduate SODA chapter when she began attending the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine in 2022.

“There are many misconceptions about organ donation that students should be aware of,” Torrence said. “But in addition to the facts, it’s important for students to know that it can be traumatic when a loved one suddenly becomes an organ donor. It’s important for clinicians to approach this process with kindness and compassion for families.”

The UNR Med SODA Chapter won the Most Impactful Community Partner Award from Donor Network West and an award for the Most Impactful Education Event from the national SODA organization. Torrence also serves on the board of directors for the national SODA. She is expected to graduate from UNR Med in 2026 with plans to pursue a career in pediatric care.

“I think it’s one of the last things I can do to care for others, and for the good of someone else,” Torrence said.

Every 10 minutes, someone in need of a life-saving organ donation is added to the national transplant waiting list. With the list growing rapidly, it is critical to raise awareness and education about the impact of organ donation. Anyone can join the registry to become an organ donor. Visit DonorNetworkWest.org to learn more about organ, eye, and tissue donation.

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