To look at 17-year old Tarrick Mussa, you’d expect him to be up on the latest hip hop lyrics. So it’s quite a shock to hear him throw out terms such as “immunofluorescence” and “osteosarcoma.”
But that’s the lingo this Creston High School senior used last August when he got up in front of a room full of doctors and educators to present his findings on a research project he’d been working on all summer at the Van Andel Institute called, “Using Tissue Microarrays to Study Melanoma.”
Tarrick was one of four students who interned at the VAI research labs this year working alongside seasoned physicians and other medical professionals. Others in the program included Jennifer Vogel, whose presentation was titled “The Search for the Elusive, Universal Met Antibody,” and Aleesa Schlientz and Bryan Mendez, who co-presented their findings on “Tissue Microarrays in Cancer Research.”
It’s all part of a unique – and very cool – program that gives Grand Rapids Public School students real world working experience to help prepare them for careers in specific fields – in this case, biomedicine.
A Measurably Successful Program
Started by Davenport University 10 years ago, Grand Rapids Area Pre-College Engineering Program (GRAPCEP) has grown to serve about 2,500 middle and high school students in the school district, most of whom are low-income and ethnic minorities. Career pathway programs, called “small schools,” are offered at high schools throughout the city and range from performing arts to business to engineering and science, which is the one offered at Creston.
“I decided I wanted to go into the medical field and thought this would be a really good opportunity to meet people who work at Van Andel and learn from them," Jennifer Vogel says. "So I applied and got the internship.”
It’s a big commitment for these high schoolers, requiring special training (seven weeks, on Saturday mornings) in addition to the accelerated classes they take at the GRAPCEP School at Creston. They began their eight-week internships after the school year ended. They not only gleaned experience, they were each paid $2,500 for their work courtesy of a special grant from the Schering Plough company.
The GRAPCEP engineering and sciences program has been incredibly successful, with only one dropout in its nine year history. Of the 413 students GRAPCEP that staff and mentors have followed through college and early careers, 204 have graduated and 157 are still in contact with the program’s staff. Of those still in touch, 99 percent are enrolled in college or have graduated; 56 majoring in a science technology, engineering or mathematics specialty.
“Much of the success is due to government, business and philanthropic leaders working together to say, ‘How can we improve our quality of life, our economy, our work force?’” says John Helmholdt, communications director for Grand Rapids Public Schools “These business leaders who are partnering with Davenport and GRPS are giving these students real world experiences that can ultimately lead to that student’s career success.”
Inspiring Young Talent
Emmanuel Armstrong, the dean of students at the GRAPCEP School of Creston, is a prime example of that success. He himself participated in a similar program when he was growing up in Detroit.
“It gives students the study skills, the discipline and character development they’ll need later in life,” he says of their experiences both in school and in the workplace. “Another great thing about it is that we have a very high level of parent involvement; they’re very interested in what their kids are doing. It’s just a wonderful program all the way around.”
“It’s pretty amazing when you think we’ve got kids from the public schools who are studying with some of the foremost cancer research specialists in the world,” Helmholdt adds. “And it’s happening right here in Grand Rapids. That’s really exciting and that’s part of what makes this community so great.”
GRPS Superintendent Bernard Taylor says the GRAPCEP program is a great example of what can happen when private and public enterprises join hands. ”It shows what we can accomplish when we take the time and invest in young people consistently and over the long haul,” Dr. Taylor says. “We have this successful model right in front of us, and it’s working within the traditional public schools; you don’t have to create a whole new milieu of services. The key lesson is the desire to partner.”
In addition to Davenport, the VAI partnership also includes Grand Valley State University professors who consulted with the institute to help develop study curriculums, which also includes training for the teachers who will be preparing students for internships.
All that preparation pays off, says VAI Distinguished Investigator and Deputy Director James H. Resau, adding that the interns they get are top notch. “They could compete successfully with any students in the country.”
As for Tarrick Mussa, he says his experience provided the head start he needed. “When I first came (to VAI) I couldn’t even understand what the doctors were talking about,” he says. “But they were very kind and patient and answered all our questions. Having the opportunity to be in a real medical environment has opened new doors for me. I always wanted to be a doctor. I know now that I can do it.”
Keasha Palmer is a freelance writer who lives near Rockford. She recently wrote for RGM about Bear Manor Properties, a development firm started by siblings working to revitalize Grand Rapids.
Photos:
GRAPCEP students at Creston High School
Tarrick Mussa
Jennifer Vogel
Aleesa Schlientz
Bryan Mendez
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
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