The Institute of Clinical Bioethics recently launched its Associate Fellows Program, allowing high school students who are sophomores and older to be Fellows. This program was designed to give high school students clinical and research experience to assist them in their college careers. Associate Fellows participate in Health Promoters under the guidance of our Fellows. They are incorporated into research projects, specifically the therapeutic horticulture project. Each Associate Fellow is given a mentor to advise them on courses, the college application process, research, and career goals.
The Institute of Clinical Bioethics recently interviewed candidates from high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and accepted 7 Associate Fellows. Our first Associate Fellow, Vidhur Varada, shared with us how the Associate Fellows Program has shaped him. Vidhur has been involved in Health Promoters since the fall of 2023 and has been on the therapeutic horticulture project since its start.
Vidhur Varada’s reflection
Like many other high schoolers, I didn’t really have a vision for my future. I knew that I liked science, but that was the extent of my career discernment. However, once I joined the ICB and the Associate Fellows Program, the vision for my future became clearer. My experiences at Health Promoter have made me realize more about what I want to do with my life beyond science. From the Nigerian elderly to the Kensington children, I’ve realized that I want to help people and I want to give back to the community. The ICB and its Health Promoters have shown me things that I never would have seen anywhere else, and for that I am forever grateful. I’ve made lasting memories and connections that I simply would not have been able to make without the ICB. Without Father Clark’s guidance and conversations with the other Fellows I would never have been able to become the person I am. They have all helped me grow tremendously and for that I am forever thankful. The Vidhur Varada of today would have never come to fruition without the ICB and the Associate Fellow program.