Students Enjoy Medicine and Music in California, Europe

Story by Shaun Robinson

Takoma Academy (TA) is proud of its numerous alumni who have become health care professionals. Several senior class students were participants in this summer’s three-week long Minority Introduction to the Health Sciences (MITHS) program at Loma Linda University (Calif.), which has an established program for minority students.

Student Cai Smith (’24) says, “The experience showed me all of the different options within the medical field, and it helped me figure out which profession I would want to go into.”

Reflecting on her experience, Dreah Yelverton (’24) states, “MITHS doesn’t only expose you to health care professions, but also what higher education is like. It is important to go into the program with the right mindset for the classes.”

Kerry Brathwaite (’24) expressed her appreciation for the numerous speakers, professors and health care professionals she met through MITHS: “As a female of color, I felt noticed, supported and encouraged to do my best in order to succeed at whatever I set my mind to do.”

Another group of TA students spent 11 days witnessing through song while visiting several countries in Europe. Members of the school choir and band toured with the Jeremy Winston Chorale group. They stayed on the Campus Adventiste du Salève in Collonges, France. There, they ministered during a morning worship service. Students were able to visit Geneva, Switzerland, which borders Collonges, before participating in a Sabbath afternoon concert. They later witnessed through song inside the St. Pierre Cathedral and blessed those who were visiting the chapel that morning.

A jaunt to Paris allowed them to visit the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The final leg of the trip was spent in Prague. In conjunction with the Jeremy Winston Chorale, the students accompanied the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and Prague Proms 2023 music festival.

“It was an enjoyable experience that increased my repertoire and allowed me to explore various genres of music,” says Addie McIver (’23). “Learning and performing with professional musicians was exciting, and I was even able to have a private violin lesson with the concert master of the CNSO, which was incredibly helpful and introduced me to different techniques. I greatly appreciated the opportunity.”

This was the second time that members of TA’s choir participated in the Proms festival in Prague. “Having the ability to travel to Europe to perform was an amazing experience. It was a blessing being able to represent not only my school but the black community,” says Lawrence Martin (’23). “We performed alongside with the orchestra with unmatched energy, and the crowd loved it!”