November 5, 2014

On October 20, students and their mentors in the Macy Program received a very special visit from the Reverend Lorina Marshall Blake, PhD, President of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.  When she arrived, she immediately began passing out assorted items to the students, from Play-Doh, to pom-poms, and a “That Was Easy” button. “Have props, will travel,” Marshall Blake joked with her audience.

Marshall Blake has been a supporter of the Macy Undergraduate Student Leadership Program at the Drexel College of Nursing and Health Professions since its inception in 2011, and of Macy Program Director Roberta Waite for longer than that.

At the Macy Mentor-Mentee Reception, Marshall Blake gave a lively talk about relationships between mentors and their mentees, peppering the lecture with accounts of her own experiences and drawing on humor and her props to engage the students and mentors.

Among the advice she gave to the group was this list, her 7 Habits of Highly Successful Mentors & Mentees:

1. They are active listeners,
2. Dedicated to their success,
3. Dedicated to others’ success,
4. Curious,
5. Engaged with their surroundings,
6. Willing to step out of their comfort zones, and
7. Love their R’s (are Responsible, Respectful, and Ready).

The Macy Undergraduate Leadership Program is aimed at developing professional goals and leadership abilities in selected undergraduate students through interaction with a diverse array of healthcare professionals and mentors. The Program includes three, three-credit courses that run consecutively during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. Past courses have included “Courageous Action: Leading Authentically,” “Group Dynamics and Leading Teams,” and “Leadership in Action.” The Program is a unique opportunity for participating students, preparing them to become the next generation of leaders in our changing healthcare system. The Macy Leadership Program is funded through a grant from The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation to Roberta Waite, thus also creating a focus in the curriculum and activities on issues of racial diversity among healthcare professionals to improve health outcomes.

Follow the experiences of Macy Program graduate Perez. Click here and here.
Click here for a Q&A with Macy Program graduates Alexis Burns and Andrea Pouschine.