On January 6, three college graduates, eleven college students and one high school student gathered in the Countway Library of Medicine for a networking dinner. All were alumni of Project Success, a summer internship program run by the HMS Office of Diversity and Community Partnership that pays students from Boston and Cambridge high schools to work with mentors in HMS laboratories. Judging by this roomful of friendly, engaging students, the program is aptly named.
A large portion of Project Success alumni attend Ivy League and top-tier colleges while also leading active academic, civic and social lives. Many have leadership roles, heading programs in which they have become deeply engaged. Over dinner, this talented group of scholars caught up with program mentors and each other, then were asked to partner with someone they didn’t already know. After interviewing one another, these new matches then presented one another’s histories with Project Success. They also described current endeavors, showcasing a breadth of talent, enthusiasm and innovative thinking.
Gilda Rodrigues of Boston, currently a student at Wheaton College, said of her Project Success experience, “They’re very supportive and want the best for you. I definitely loved it.” Rodrigues shared how the program helped prepare her for school: “What I learned in my lab at college, I had already learned in Project Success.”
HMS Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership Joan Reede addressed the alumni, applauding their accomplishments and reminding them of their still-untapped potential. “You are the people who will make discoveries that will treat our families and friends,” Reede said. “It is a privilege to know you, and I’m proud of the contributions you are making in your life.”
