Students Run Philly Style
Title: Students Help Healthcare Style
Student Interns:
Ida Aria
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Bryce Mills
University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing
Academic Preceptor:
Dalmacio Dennis Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN
University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing
Abby Quinn Peterson, DMD, MPH
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Elizabeth Powell, DDS, MPH
University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Mariana Folco, MSW, LSW
Director of Programs, Students Run Philly Style
Madison Helmick, MA
Associate Director of Youth Initiatives, Students Run Philly Style
Community Site:
Students Run Philly Style (SRPS) is a nonprofit organization that transforms students’ lives through mentorship over miles of long-distance running and achievement. The organization pairs volunteer mentors with teams of students to inspire them to train and push themselves to complete a 10-mile run or a half or full marathon. Currently they are partnered with 60 schools in 48 zip codes and serve 1,500 students with 400 mentors.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns focused on community engagement, event support, and resource development to enhance SRPS’s summer programming. They helped plan and facilitate events such as Scoop N’ Loop and a local fundraising 5K at Yards Brewery in Spring Garden, where they successfully raised over $800. The interns developed targeted outreach materials and assisted with an information session aimed at increasing parent registration for the Philadelphia Distance Run 5K. They collected participant quotes for future communications and interviewed members of the running community to help create content for the upcoming PDR Expo, highlighting the race’s significance and local impact.
Reflections
“This summer with Bridging the Gaps gave us the chance to step outside the classroom and into meaningful, community-centered work. As a dental and nursing student, we often think of health in terms of procedures and outcomes, but this experience reminded us that public health begins with people. Whether we were helping kids run loops for ice cream, organizing materials for SRPS, or hearing stories about the legacy of the Philadelphia Distance Run, we saw how trust, relationships, and presence are just as important as clinical skills. We learned to communicate more effectively, adapt to changing needs, and collaborate with each other and the broader community. Even the smallest moments, like handing out raffle tickets, helping at the finish line, or creating a flyer, taught us how consistency and care can make a lasting impact. This summer reaffirmed why we chose careers in healthcare: not just to treat patients, but to walk alongside communities and support their health in all its forms.”
This summer’s work with Students Run Philly Style focused on community outreach, event support, and organizational development. Key contributions included assisting with the PDR Expo by researching the race’s history and interviewing one of its original directors, as well as supporting the Yards Bridge Run fundraiser, which raised over $800. Additional responsibilities involved coordinating registration and outreach for SRPS Leadership Summit Camp, organizing a healthcare careers presentation, and helping run the Scoop N Loop event. Administrative projects included building a quote library, sending postcards, and creating a centralized volunteer database. Interviews with community figures like the founder of Philly Track Jawn added depth to ongoing storytelling and engagement efforts.”
Ida Aria & Bryce Mills