RISE Philadelphia is partnered with 4 medical schools in the Philadelphia area to provide academic support to K-12 students. Each medical school has an E-board made up of members that work hard to support the mission of the organization. I serve as the External Coordinator and interviewed the rest of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Jefferson) chapter’s current E-board to learn more about why they joined RISE Philadelphia, what their roles on the E-board are, and what they hope to accomplish this year. I spoke to Rithvik Kata (President), Jovial Joseph (Internal Coordinator), Nikita Nair (Treasurer), and Julie Cooper (Junior Community Outreach Liaison).
What made you interested in getting involved with RISE Philadelphia?
Rithvik: “I have tutored since high school and have enjoyed helping students learn and grow in each subject. Since Jefferson RISE Philadelphia offers free tutoring for students all across Philly, I have the opportunity to continue providing help and enjoy working with students.”
Sunisha: “The commitment of RISE Philadelphia to providing free tutoring and mentorship to students resonated with me. This was an organization where I could use my previous experience in tutoring and passion for teaching to make a difference in the lives of Philadelphia students.”
Jovial: “I used to tutor during high school and college and loved helping my students learn and gain confidence in their abilities. Working with RISE Philadelphia allows me to get the same sense of fulfillment while working with students that need our help.”
Nikita: “I tutored throughout high school and college, and it was one of the best experiences. I resonate with RISE Philly’s mission and want to continue the tutoring efforts.”
Julie: “I have enjoyed my previous tutoring experiences, and I appreciate that RISE Philadelphia provides free tutoring services for students. Also, I like the flexibility that comes with online tutoring.”
What are your responsibilities in your E-board role?
Rithvik: “As President, I oversee all activities of the Jefferson chapter. I maintain tutor pairings, oversee new tutor pairings as well as relations with our partner schools, work with the board to organize Jeff RISE-related events, and directly work with presidents of other chapters to ensure proper maintenance of the organization across Philadelphia.”
Sunisha: “As External Coordinator, my roles include recruiting new tutors and serving as the primary liaison between RISE Philadelphia and partnered K-12 schools in the Philadelphia area.”
Jovial: “As Internal Coordinator, I am the point of contact between tutors, students, and parents. I select tutor-student pairings based on individual academic needs and am also therefore responsible for ensuring efficient and high quality learning.”
Nikita: “As Treasurer, I am responsible for getting funding for our chapter of the club, putting money towards events, and the logistics involved in setting up events.”
Julie: “As Junior Community Outreach Liaison, I act as the connection between the RISE Philadelphia non-profit and the Jefferson RISE club. I am also working to form partnerships with other Jefferson-related organizations and graduate student programs.”
What are you looking forward to achieving as a member of the Jefferson RISE Philadelphia E-board this year?
Rithvik: “I look forward to continuing to grow the tutor population at Jefferson and have successful recruiting and Jeff RISE events.”
Sunisha: “I’m excited to expand our team of dedicated tutors that are passionate about contributing to the mission of RISE Philadelphia. Also, I look forward to participating at events at our partnered K-12 schools to increase outreach and strengthen community engagement.”
Jovial: “I look forward to recruiting more tutors and pairing them with K-12 students so that we can broaden our impact and make a change in our students' lives.”
Nikita: “I am excited to have successful events with great turnouts and getting our tutors inspired to keep helping out!”
Julie: “I look forward to supporting tutor recruitment and helping RISE Philly grow!”
What to look forward to:
We currently have 13 tutor-student pairs working together, and tutor recruitment is ongoing! Please reach out to anyone on the executive board and check out our website if interested.
We are selling RISE Philadelphia merchandise (t-shirts and hats) to help support the non-profit and the students of the Philadelphia community.
We are having our first meeting of the year on 9/30, and hope you can attend!
Author: Sunisha Busarajan
Medical Student, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
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