For Immediate Release: September 19, 2024
Last year, the HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre set a pivotal new precedent by participating in a grant writing experience which resulted in a NEXT G.H.E.N. award through the City of Houston.
This year, HEALTH-RCMI welcomes five new members to the Student Cadre, a group of young University of Houston visionaries who are interested in giving back to their community: Alex Nguyen, Dhwani Mulani, Lamont Bennett, Taylor Jones, and Ivy Manalo.
Jones’ experience with the Cadre was so enriching that she decided to return for a third year as a student volunteer with HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre.
“I think my takeaway is that it was so important to join the Student Cadre, because it’s not only research and getting involved in research, but also getting involved in the community,” Jones said. “It is the best of both worlds. You can network with community leaders, but also work with wise, intelligent people out there. It makes you a more well-rounded person, a well-rounded doctor--to show diverse cultures and the disparities that we may not be aware of.”
In collaboration with the Community Engagement Core Director, Dr. Chakema Carmack, the HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre was created to help students better understand the community they are directly serving and to improve health outcomes at the grassroots level.
One of the most valuable rewards of participating in the HEALTH-RCMI Student Cadre has been the professional guidance on career advice, including informative insight on applications to medical schools. Former Cadre member, Kim Nguyen said the benefits of the group truly helped her shape her next chapter in medical school.
“We all want to be physicians in the future, so we appreciated the experience,” Nguyen said.
If you are interested in learning more about the HEALTH-RCMI Community Engagement Core or Student Cadre, explore our Community Engagement Core page.
--Alison Medley
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Alison Medley at 713.320.0933 or email aemedle2@central.uh.edu