The Penn Medicine High School Pipeline Program helps change the lives of high school students, providing a major step up in realizing their career goals. But it’s not easy. Over the course of the two-year program, they not only successfully complete their last two years of high school but also take college courses, work in positions throughout UPHS, and receive professional development and job readiness training.
As London Reese told members of her graduating class, as well as family and friends attending the graduation ceremony, “This program was a taste of the real world. There were times we wanted to give up but we hung together and remembered why we wanted to join this program and why they chose us. I wonder if I would have made it here without my wonderful peers and our wonderful program director.”
All students in the program must maintain a 3.0 grade point average at their respective high schools while taking courses at the Community College of Philadelphia twice a week, including introductory courses in Behavioral Health & Sciences, Psychology, and Business.
Students also work six hours a week in the Health System, pairing with mentors while exposing them to jobs in the health care field. At the graduation, Krista Mendillo, organizational change communications specialist, spoke about her experience working with Darien McClennon. “He contributed to many projects – in design, research, and web development,” she said. “He has grown tremendously since I met him. He continuously used drive and intuition to move various tasks forward.”
After Graduation, Where?
This year’s Pipeline Program graduates will be continuing their education at the following schools:
Dede Ajavon Thomas Jefferson University
Shithe A-Hasan Carnegie Mellon University
Duron Bryant Community College of Philadelphia
Janiel Cabrivski Returning to native Jamaica for further studies
Quran Cogdell University of the Sciences
Hadja Diallo LaSalle University
Hydiyah Felder Temple University
Khiesha Harris Temple University
Yvette Johnson Morgan State University
Darien McClennon Muhlenberg College
Zuri Minor Albright College
Marco Mitchell Community College of Philadelphia
Syrena Quattlebaum Brightwood Career Institute
Hasan Randolph Community College of Philadelphia
London Reese LaSalle University
Teria Thompson Penn State University
Victor Wright Cheyney University
CNA Henrietta Harris, who worked with Marco Mitchell in the Emergency Department, praised his ability to work independently, adding, with a laugh, “Not once did I have to say ‘put your phone away!’”
John McCoy, registration supervisor in the ED, added, “Marco would get here at 6 a.m., get his work done, and then leave at 9 to go to school.” Mitchell now works in the ED, in addition to taking classes at the Community College of Philadelphia. “He earned that,” McCoy said. “He has the work ethic of a seasoned veteran. You don’t see that much in these days and times.”
While the graduates now have the tools to move ahead in their desired fields, Kevin Mahoney, EVP and chief administrative officer for the Health System, provided some words of wisdom to help keep their dreams alive. First, “you have the talent, but don’t be humble. Show people what you’ve got.”
Make sure you hang with the right people, he continued. “If someone is pulling you down or getting you in trouble, get away from them, especially when it comes to your dream. Small people want you to be small like them.”
He also encouraged them to “keep moving, keep pushing” when it comes to reaching their goals. Quoting Steve Jobs, he said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.”
And finally: “Life goes by really fast. You have to enjoy it,” he said. “And if you don’t, figure out why.”
Since the two-year program began in 2010, 177 students from several West Philadelphia high schools have participated. This year’s cohort graduated from Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, William L. Sayre High School, and Microsoft’s School of the Future. And more are coming up the ranks. “We anticipate recruiting 20 to 25 11th grade students in the fall of 2018,” said Daniel Bryan, Pipeline Program academic coordinator.
All of the Pipeline students have graduated from high school (versus 67 percent for the city’s school district) and “almost all of our graduates matriculate into a two- or four-year college or university,” Bryan said. In addition, some of the program graduates have returned to Penn Medicine as employees, for example, working as ophthalmic technicians, patient service representatives, and office coordinators.
“We leave knowing Pipeline has opened doors for all of us,” Reese said. “Thank you for believing in us and supporting us. And to my cohorts: We can do anything we put our minds to!”
“I appreciate all you’ve done for Penn Medicine,” Mahoney told the graduates. “The fact that you’re willing to invest in yourselves lifts all of us. Congratulations!”