The Barry University chapter of the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) was recognized with a 2016 Community Impact Award from the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI). MAPS was honored for its longstanding commitment to service and leadership within the community.
The award was accepted by the organization’s 2015-16 President, Biology major Alejandro Tobon, and Biomedical Sciences graduate student Verronika Laguerre, who serves as vice president. Over the years, MAPS has worked tirelessly to make significant inroads towards addressing health disparities while preparing its members to become future health care leaders with an acute awareness of social issues, including the challenges to equal healthcare access.
In keeping with its mission, MAPS has led a number of initiatives to support its commitment to the community, which include: MAPS’ Diversity Dialogues series, which delves into health care practices and attitudes in different cultures; volunteered with the University of Miami Department of Community Service (UMDOCS) program by serving as Creole and Spanish translators at health fairs sponsored by UMDOCS in underserved communities; and led annual on-campus awareness campaigns about diseases such as heart disease and cancer that disproportionately affect or lead to poor prognoses for members of underserved communities. These events include a kickball tournament (co-sponsored by Lambda Theta Phi) benefiting the American Heart Association, Pink Campus Day, with proceeds benefiting different cancer research organizations, and supporting the work of Feeding South Florida by participating in warehouse food sorting and organizing Hunger Action Month activities on campus.
As a mentorship pipeline, MAPS has also made it a priority to serve as role models for youth. In addition to serving as a strong support system for its members, MAPS has extended its mentorship reach to the K-12 system. MAPS initiated an ongoing, campus-wide Box Tops for Education Drive in 2014, co-sponsored by the CCSI, which now benefits two elementary schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Members of the organization also serve as science mentors and facilitators at a local elementary school, working alongside fellow science majors and the organization’s faculty advisor on weekdays and weekends leading science labs for 4th and 5th graders.
MAPS is a multicultural student organization with members from undergraduate (Biology, Chemistry and Nursing) and graduate (Biomedical Sciences) programs at Barry.
For more information about MAPS, visit barry.edu/maps, facebook.com/barryumaps or email barrymaps@gmail.com.