We are all born with potential, but not all of us are given the opportunity to realize it. This is particularly true of young people of color. The RISE for Youth program seeks to bridge the gap, with a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the NAACP (Rochester), designed to help underrepresented students find power against those odds.
Walé Elegbede, M.B.A., PMP President, Rochester NAACP and Director, Mayo Clinic RISE for Youth
Faizza Omar RISE Up Youth Scholar
Safa Sheikhibraihim RISE Up Youth Scholar
We are all born with potential, but not all of us are given the opportunity to realize it. This is particularly true of young people of color. The RISE for Youth program seeks to bridge the gap, with a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the NAACP (Rochester), designed to help underrepresented students find power against those odds. Featuring RISE for Youth program leader Walé Elegbede, and two rising star students, Host Lee Hawkins leads this candid conversation on the impact of representation on our youth’s success.
“The beauty about this is, we're not going to decide; they’re going to decide what they want to do. So, if they want to work in the healthcare field, that's perfectly fine. We are going to support them. But if you want to, for example, become a restaurant owner or a small business, we're going to support you along that journey.”
— Walé Elegbede
"When you think about social determinants of health, education plays a critical role."
— Walé Elegbede
"I would say my biggest highlight is when I first started to put it on my institution, I noticed I could count all the black students on one hand. So in contrast to this program, the seeing, the diversity and people of color and having the same shared lived experiences with them, I feel seen and heard and empowered to grow as an individual just because there's a sense of...there's a sense of belonging."
— Faizza Omar
“Now I feel like I can truly be myself and thrive.”
—Safa Sheikhibraihim