May 11, 2026

On a freezing cold evening last February, a Students for Voting Justice volunteer mentor met a former intern for dinner in Philadelphia the night before his medical school interview. It was their first in-person meeting, although they had spoken many times before.

“Remember what we talked about,” Dr. Donald Friedman told Robert Neil. “You have to sell yourself.”

Robert did exactly that.

A few weeks later, Robert received an offer of admission to Thomas Jefferson University’s medical school, along with a substantial four-year scholarship. He will begin medical school there this fall.

Dr. Donald Friedman, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Adjunct Faculty Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University College of Medicine

Robert, a 2025 graduate of Georgia State University, first met Don in the fall of 2023, when Robert was an intern with Students for Voting Justice and Don volunteered as his mentor. Don is a rheumatologist with faculty appointments at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University College of Medicine. Robert was a neuroscience major and a pre-med. Whenever possible, we match interns and mentors based on the intern’s career interests, and many of these relationships transcend the work of Students for Voting Justice to involve career and personal guidance as well.

Robert’s internship lasted just nine weeks, but during that time Don came to see that Robert was deeply committed to a career in medicine and had the potential to become a phenomenal doctor. When the internship ended, Don suggested that they continue meeting. Since then, they have spoken once a month, with Don serving as a sounding board and advisor as Robert navigated the process of preparing for and applying to medical school.

Don wrote one of Robert’s letters of recommendation and later personally delivered an additional note to Jefferson’s Dean of Admissions advocating for Robert to be invited to interview.

Don says the moment he realized he wanted to go beyond the short-term SVJ mentoring role came during one of their early conversations.

“I asked Robert, why are you interested in medicine?” Don recalls. “And that's when he brought up his mother having sickle cell disease. He said, ‘I saw her really suffer and not get the care that she needed. I want to go into medicine because I want to relieve the suffering of other people.’”

Don was deeply impressed.

“That’s really the definition of compassion,” he said. “Medical students often have a feel for that, but here is someone much younger defining it and living it.”

Robert Neil presenting his research at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America meeting in Las Vegas in 2025.

Don is humble about his role in Robert’s success, but Robert insists that Don was “very pivotal in my journey to get into medical school — very significant.”

Relationships like this are one of the unexpected and wonderful consequences of our early decision to involve volunteers in guiding college students through our internship. We are grateful every time one of these connections changes a young person's trajectory.

Robert’s story also reflects another kind of transformation that SVJ hopes to inspire: lasting civic engagement.

Students for Voting Justice was Robert’s first and only political internship. He applied on the recommendation of a friend, curious to learn about something new.

Robert explains that SVJ “expanded my viewpoint. Prior to that, I had no interest in politics whatsoever. But I remember you guys emphasized how every vote counts, and walked us through different elections that were determined by just a few votes. As a result, I got more involved in politics. I've talked to all my family, and we've started voting.”

Turning promising college students into engaged citizens is what SVJ does best, and we are delighted that Robert has become an ambassador for voting within his family and community. We are also tremendously grateful to the donors whose support enables us to provide paid, educational internships for the leaders of tomorrow.

Looking ahead, Don hopes to continue meeting regularly with Robert — only now, with Robert moving to Philadelphia, some of those meetings may take place in person, perhaps over coffee.

We love that idea.

Don and Robert, your first lattes are on us!

With continued hope for our democracy,

Claire Ullman & Sandra Radoff

Co-Directors