EPiC 2025
For the past three weeks, I have led the team of Summer Mentors in the Emory Pipeline Collaborative (EPiC), a health-prep program aimed at recruiting high school students into the health career pipeline.
This program is aimed at several Atlanta public high schools surrounding Emory.
The EPiC program is focused on college preparedness and readiness. For the Juniors, we particularly focused on SAT prep and exposure to health careers. For the Seniors, we worked on Individual Development Plans (IDPs), college application personal statements, and scholarship statements. Together, we had the students visit places that would open their minds to health career opportunities such as the schools of Medicine and Nursing at Emory, undergraduate admissions tour at Emory, and even outside undergraduate programs such as Kennesaw State University; as well as visits to health professionals such as anesthesiologists, dermatologists and psychiatrists at Emory Hospital; and public health professionals at Grady Hospital.
Perhaps the best part of this experience was the heart dissection (Juniors) and brain dissection (Seniors). I had the opportunity to teach them alongside other professionals such as Physical Therapists and Neuroscientists how to dissect these organs, teach them their functions, and tie them to big-picture human diseases and health careers.
The seniors had an immersive experience in the Human Simulation Educational Center, which is utilized for simulated patient education, clinical skills education, physical examination practice, diagnosis assessment, and other educational experiences. This was an impactful experience for them as most had little or no exposure to healthcare settings.
One profound experience that stuck with me was when I got a preview into their background when I read their college essays to give them feedback; I was struck by the profoundly heartbreaking yet defining experiences that these young kids have gone through, but still stand strong, show up and smile. ..! More than ever, I am aware of the privileges that I have been afforded in my education/career, and going through this program has humbled me. Much more, I am inspired to keep going on and keep giving back.
I am so proud to be associated with this workforce development program which has curated an amazing curriculum to make post-high-school collegial experiences accessible to disadvantaged high school students who otherwise would have no opportunities to do so; and expose them to the enriching academic environment that can be found in Atlanta and its environs.
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