Q: Tell us about yourself! My name is Nikita Sanghavi, and I am a FACES Summer Medical Academy (FSMA) alumni! I participated in 2016, between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I graduated high school in June 2018 and am now a freshman at UC Davis. Q: What inspired you to pursue a… [Read More]
“Help Fight the Silence”: Youth Mental Health First Aid
It’s not something my family talked about much – at least not openly. But there have been members of my family who have committed suicide, who struggled with addiction or who tried desperately to manage a mental illness while shrouded in silence. As time marched on and I became an adult, it began to make… [Read More]
Why “At-Promise” Youth are Good for Global Health
As a nation and society, we often unfairly view youth from underserved communities through a deficit lens. Frequent terms used to describe these young people include “at risk” and “marginalized,” referring generally to young people who face situational circumstances that we believe will inevitably lead to their personal and professional failures. Labeling youth as “at-risk”… [Read More]
“Healthcare is a calling”, a speech by Edward Hinton at the FACES S. Alameda County Graduation 2017
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am truly honored to be here with you this evening. Reatha (Program Coordinator) has been with your students every step of the way and has been very instrumental in facilitating this program in a positive manner. So I would like to say thank you to Reatha and the entire FACES… [Read More]
FACES, a Heart-centered Approach Makes Good Sense: Sense of Family, Sense of Community, Sense of Compassion and Opportunity
FACES for the Future students in San Diego are a special part of the Rady Children’s Hospital family. When I first met Dr. Tomás Magaña in 2008, I was inspired by the work he had been doing and the students I met in Oakland. My intention was to develop a similar program for a group… [Read More]
Student Blogs – Mentoring the Next Generation of Global Health Workers
In June 2016, twelve FACES for the Future students, each representing a FACES program from across California (San Diego, Hayward, San Francisco and Oakland), traveled to Washington DC to participate in our inaugural Global Health Youth Summit (GHYS). Read the various blogs from FACES Scholars who participated in the Summit and learn how that experience… [Read More]
Lived Experience and Diversity Are Essential to the Future of Global Health
Often, I’ll hear someone ask in a diversity conversation, “Why do we need to start so early in order for students to succeed? Why high school?” My response is simple – because we are losing too many valuable diverse candidates with lived experience before and during college. How do we expect to benefit from all… [Read More]
Immersing Youth in Global Health
For the past two years, FACES for the Future Coalition has proudly partnered with the Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP) II to develop a global health career pathway for diverse youth underrepresented in global health. To this end, our goals are to expose youth to global health careers at an early stage of their educational… [Read More]
Continuing our work to address critical imperatives
Our commitment to empowering young people with the skills, training and experience to succeed personally and professionally has been unwavering since 2000 when the first FACES program was launched. To that end, FACES programs have served more than 800 youth throughout California over the past 16 years. This journey has been extraordinary for all of… [Read More]
FACES Summer Medical Academy Teaches Culturally Sensitive Care
Many Americans are reluctant to see their doctor. According to a recent survey commissioned by ZocDoc, a medical scheduling company found that 80% of Americans say they delay or avoid getting preventative care. Though there are a number of variables that keep us from seeing our doctors I imagine that the odds of avoiding a… [Read More]