Student group helps create a community

When Kathryn Woods, a graduate student in the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology, arrived on the UNMC campus, she felt out of place.

“Not uncomfortable, but like I didn’t fit in,” she said.

With two other students, Kimiko Krieger and Eyerusalem Lemma, she laid the groundwork for Graduates & Professionals Representing Achievement, Diversity and Service (GRADS). GRADS is a student created-organization that seeks to connect minority students across UNMC’s campus — though leaders stress the group welcomes all UNMC students.

“We wanted to do something to make it better for students coming behind us,” Woods said.

The group became an official student organization in the summer of 2016 but has been working together since the previous fall.

“With the help of Channing Bunch in the office of recruitment and student engagement and our other advisors, Dr. Sheritta Strong and Dr. Andrea Jones, we created a network of students from each UNMC college and department to help support each other professionally, academically and socially — and we also do a lot of community service, as well,” Woods said.

Members of the group have spoken to middle and high school students about a future in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and the group worked with the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) students this past summer. GRADS also has helped pair UNMC students with mentors.

“We are able to match up people according to their discipline, so they can have really personalized, focused mentorships if they choose to participate,” Woods said.

Sebastian Lane, a board member for the group and a second-year medical student, said the group also has done volunteer work with Nebraska Medicine, such as an Easter egg hunt for pediatric patients.

“We want to reach out to the community, as well,” he said. “And that still ends up supporting the students, because it gives them an opportunity to do some community service and give back to Omaha.”

In the future, the group wants to continue its outreach, he said. The concert, which features Lane’s band Domestic Blend, will enable the group to do more in the community.

“We have been supported by the recruitment and student engagement office, but to have a continual impact in years to come, we have to start doing community outreach and fundraisers, seeking community sponsors and letting the community know who we are,” Woods said.

These days, Woods feels much more at home.

“Being a part of the leadership of this group has been able to help me feel more at ease and to provide a community for other people.”