Educators for Education
Title: Pathways to Success: Guiding Philadelphia Youth Toward Professional and Personal Excellence
Student Interns:
Holly Akabuo
Drexel University College of Medicine
Zaria Beckley
Drexel University College of Medicine
Michael Jin
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Sydney Lam
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Yashvi Shah
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Abby Quinn Peterson, DMD, MPH
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Elizabeth Powell, DDS, MPH
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Kristen Ryczak, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Anthony Singleton
President/Executive Officer, Educators for Education
Community Site:
Educators for Education (E4E) works with youth across the city of Philadelphia to provide educational services, professional development/training, advocacy, and social support. E4E offers a wide array of programs and services, including mentoring, summer camps, tutoring, job and career coaching, professional development, and more.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns assisted E4E with various projects, primarily focusing on the development and management of a healthcare and STEM career camp for 20 male high school students and recent graduates, as well as a job readiness and career development camp for six female high school students and recent graduates. The interns delivered presentations and led interactive workshops on academic and professional topics such as résumé writing, interview skills, professional communication, and public speaking, and more. In collaboration with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, the interns led discussions on emotional regulation, communication styles, and public speaking for local youth. They also played a key role in organizing a youth job fair, reaching out to vendors across Philadelphia to participate in the event. Additionally, the interns wrote articles highlighting E4E partnerships for inclusion in a community newsletter and provided ongoing support for other E4E programming.
Reflections
“Partnering with E4E to empower teenagers across Philadelphia to pursue their academic and professional aspirations has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Over the course of just seven weeks, we have built meaningful relationships with these young individuals while equipping them with essential skills that will support their future success. At the same time, we have gained invaluable lessons of patience, empathy, adaptability, and collaboration — qualities that we will continue to demonstrate to patients and professional peers as future healthcare providers. We are immensely proud of the growth, engagement, and resilience the students have shown, and we look forward to seeing all that they accomplish in their academic and career journeys.”
Holly Akabuo, Zaria Beckley, Michael Jin, Sydney Lam, & Yashvi Shah