For Caroline Song, an aspiring academic with a passion for science, accessibility, and inclusion, working as a teaching assistant at The Pathway Initiative, Inc. for the past year has been the perfect melding of her interests. A senior at Boston Latin High School, 17-year-old Caroline joined TPI in summer 2024 and has since supported staff in running the High School Medical Academy and Summer Internship Program for other middle and high school students who aspire to careers in medicine and healthcare. With her sights set on college, and an acceptance to Harvard already secured, Caroline is now dedicated to starting a college volunteer program to get more students involved in TPI’s mission.
“What drew me to TPI is their commitment to education accessibility,” Caroline says. She recalls a prior classmate with a learning disability who felt left behind when Caroline joined a debate club. “It made me really sad because she had so much potential, but she didn’t think she could do it. I really want to work in an environment that promotes accessible education for everyone.” While many of her classmates were pursuing internships at local hospitals, Caroline was excited to use her tutoring experience, passion for teaching, and love of science to give back through TPI.
In the teaching assistant role, Caroline helps TPI’s program manager, Amanda Roberts, with everything from setting up events for students to taking photographs of the programs and everything in between. She also supports teachers in hosting monthly asynchronous activities with students and attends virtual meetings, helping to field questions from students participating in TPI’s programs, who range from middle schoolers to fellow high school-aged students. As the daughter of two Chinese immigrants herself, Caroline finds a connection with TPI’s students from across Boston, many of whom are also children of immigrants, people of color, or individuals who may not have previously seen a future for themselves in the medical field.
“Speaking with the students really gives me a sense of confidence, and it’s helped re-spark my interest in education and higher education,” Caroline says. “Education is about being interested in something and pursuing something you care about or are really curious about. When you’re young, you wonder, ‘Why is the grass green and the sky blue?’ It’s important to hold onto that natural curiosity throughout your life and to remember what got you interested in a topic in the first place.”
While her high school career is wrapping up, Caroline has much to look forward to in college, where she hopes to blend her interest in medicine and the environment into her studies. “My dream has always been to be a teacher or a professor and do research on the side,” she says. And as she starts her studies, she hopes to spark curiosity in her fellow college students to give back as she has by supporting TPI as a volunteer.
If you are interested in supporting The Pathway Initiative as a volunteer, or know a student who may benefit from TPI’s programs, please contact us. You can also support Caroline’s goal of making medical education more accessible for everyone by donating to TPI today.