Emyly Benitez is attending North Park University and plans to pursue a career in nursing.

Emyly’s desire to become a nurse occurred during her middle school years when she started volunteering at her local library. She helped younger children, some with disabilities, with things like homework or preparing for quizzes and exams. Seeing the positive impact she had on them helped Emyly decide to pursue a career that helped others, which for her was nursing.

Jeremy Hall is attending Morehouse College and plans to pursue a career as an Endocrinologist.

Although Jeremy’s passion for a future career in the medical field came from past experiences with helping his grandfather with his healthcare, his goal to serve as a black male Endocrinologist goes hand and hand with his commitment to addressing the needs of underserved communities. Jeremy points out that in order for him to achieve his goal, it will require hard work, discipline, sacrifices, and remaining mentally focused.

Ajibola Junaid is attending University of Michigan and plans to pursue a career as an Ob-Gyn Surgeon.

Ajibola gained early exposure to the medical profession as a member of Medical Careers Exposure and Emergency Preparedness, a program designed to empower high school students with emergency response skills needed to potentially save lives in communities struck most by health disparities. As a resident of the Englewood community, Ajibola says she is all too familiar with these health disparities and is dedicated to making a difference. 

Daijah Pierce is attending University of Illinois and plans to pursue a career as an Emergency Medicine Doctor.

As a medical student mentee during the summer of her junior year of high school, Daijah had the opportunity to work in the hospital alongside many physicians treating Covid-19 patients. She recalls it was a humbling experience that not only taught her more about the physiological aspects of medicine, but even more so about the social-economic barriers that affect the health outcomes and plans for patients.