Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation Grants $50K to ElevateMeD Scholar
Our mission to support the next generation of physician leaders is one that we simply cannot achieve alone.
Alisa Gooding, Dr. Timothy Gooding, and Jessica Vasquez
Co-Founders of Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation
In 2019, our organization was introduced to Dr. Timothy Gooding and Mrs. Alisa Gooding, two of the co-founders of Arizona based nonprofit Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation. Their desire to invest in the education of students in our state aligned closely with our mission to close the gap of financial inequity in medical education. In 2021, motivated by the profound impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on black communities, the Inspire board of directors resolved to allocate resources to impact this urgent healthcare crisis.
Upon watching our #BehindtheWhiteCoat interview with Arizona native Caylan Bookman, their organization was inspired by his journey as a Black male pursuing medicine. They were particularly moved by Caylan’s story shared about helping a 6 year old child as a Behavioral Technician.
“We’re excited about you because you said that your road and your journey wasn’t easy… but you did it anyway. You persevered. You strive for excellence and that’s something that touches us.”
This led them to award Caylan with an additional $50,000 award to finish his fourth year at University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. This was the largest private donation received in 2021.
The award was presented as a surprise to Caylan at the 2021 Explosion of a Dream event.
You can watch the surprise presentation here:
Because of the generosity of the Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation, we are encouraged to keep our dream alive! Thank you to their Board of Directors for joining our mission to elevate medicine!
About Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation
Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation seeks to build a better future by making direct investments into the education of youth in our communities. Whether our students’ interests lie in academics, athletics, or creative arts, we believe it is our responsibility to provide resources to empower them to succeed inside and outside of the classroom. To learn more about their organization, visit foundationinspire.org.
Get involved:
If you’ve been wanting to get more involved with ElevateMeD, now is the time. If you’re interested in learning more about our Board of Directors or Advisory Board, please reach out to info@elevatemed.org. If you’d like to become part of our mentor database, please sign up here. Please follow us on social media and help us expand our reach by liking and sharing our posts.
ElevateMeD Scholars Program
The ElevateMeD Scholars program provides significant financial assistance to medical students while providing them access to mentorship, leadership training, and financial management education.
