“Saturday Scholars” rewarding experience for Sailors

Courtesy Photo | 170422-N-ZZ999-420 SAN DIEGO (April 22, 2017) – Sailors from Surface Warfare Medical Institute (SWMI) pose with student s from Loma Verde Elementary School during a ‘Saturday Scholars’ program visit. The program takes place over five consecutive Saturdays for four hours at a time and is designed to harness the creative flair of the young minds and encourage independent thinking. (U.S. Navy photos by Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jermia Douglas/Released)  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

06.16.2017

Courtesy Story

Navy Medicine Operational Training Command

By Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jermia Douglas, Surface Warfare Medical Institute Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (June 16, 2017) – The Navy has long fostered relationships with local communities to provide Sailors the opportunity to give back. It has become one of the Navy’s finest traditions. For nearly three decades, Surface Warfare Medical Institute (SWMI) and Navy Enlisted Training Element (NETE) have continually partnered with one local school to further strengthen this time-honored tradition.
Entering its 28th year, SWMI and NETE have maintained a partnership with Loma Verde Elementary School with a program called Saturday Scholars. The purpose of Saturday Scholars is to mentor and assist fourth and fifth graders at Loma Verde in the exploration of biological sciences and medicine.
“The Saturday Scholars program has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my naval career,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class David Leos, the program’s coordinator. “To be able to identify and laugh with these brilliant kids puts the biggest smile on my face.”
Leos has been a longstanding mentor but now, as the program’s coordinator, he serves as the main liaison between SWMI and the school. He organizes all events and volunteers while continually seeking out new members.
The program itself takes place over five consecutive Saturdays for four hours at a time and is designed to harness the creative flair of the young minds and encourage independent thinking. The first Saturday is “Career Day.” It provides a basic introduction to the many fields of Navy Medicine. Students receive an interactive tour through the SWMI spaces with discussions on topics including radiology, laboratory, surgical technician, cardiology, and healthcare exams.
The next three Saturdays are dedicated to student exploration in a medical topic and students work with SWMI mentors to research a project of their own interest. The project aims to enhance and inspire interest in the medical sciences and serve as a means to sharpen verbal and written acumen. Each activity utilizes tools to hone each student’s skills on computers, online resource collection and visual aid use.
On the final Saturday, mentors, mentees, families and guests gather at SWMI for a graduation ceremony, with the students receiving a Saturday Scholars certificate.
“Saturday Scholars not only enhanced my sense of servitude to inspire young minds, but it also strengthened the sense of honor within my own profession,” said Lt. Vienna Katana, one of the program’s mentors. “This medical mentorship program is a valuable resource for cultivating the next generation of scientists and clinicians.”
SWMI, a detachment of Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC), is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global healthcare network of navy medical professionals around the world who provide high quality healthcare to more than one million eligible beneficiaries.

• Date Taken: 06.16.2017
• Date Posted: 06.29.2017 11:44
• Story ID: 239613
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US