Since our inception nearly 50 years ago, the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) has served thousands of students in grades seven through collegiate level. Preparing students for careers in science and medicine is a mission we have cultivated over decades. As a result the CEYE has developed a robust program portfolio that holistically supports youth belonging to groups that are underrepresented in medicine. As a unit of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), we have an opportunity to diversify youth education in STEM-based fields here in our very own health system. 

We are thrilled to announce that 2024 has been another year of incredible growth for CEYE! With immense gratitude, we share that we have had the privilege of serving nearly 500 students across our diverse portfolio of programs—our largest group of students to date. This milestone reflects our continued commitment to providing high-quality educational opportunities and support, empowering students to reach their full potential. We look forward to even more exciting developments as we continue to expand our impact in the years ahead. This summer was the return of CEYE's visit to Cornell's NanoScale Facility and the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source since the pandemic. We conducted more in-person summer recruitment information sessions at interested schools than any previous year along with two virtual information sessions to reach out to more New York City public and charter school students. This summer we had our 3rd annual ODI Fun Day for our division’s students and colleagues. We have been able to attend multiple conferences to further promote the work we do here at CEYE and learn from others who are doing similar work. All in all, it has been a busy year!

We would like to thank our school partners, internal MSHS departments, the faculty, staff, trainees, and students within the entire Mount Sinai Health System, our mentors, funders and the many colleagues who give of their time and resources and our very own CEYE students, for enabling our programs to continue to thrive. Lastly, thank you to the entire ODI team for their unwavering support.  

We are grateful to each of YOU for your support and look forward to working closely with you in 2025. We wish you a happy holiday season and a safe new year filled with peace, prosperity, and abundance!

Lloyd Sherman Scholar Cohort Class of 2025

Our Lloyd Sherman Scholar (LSS) seniors became the second group of LSS students to complete all components of the now credit-bearing course. The program is conducted in partnership with the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics high school, as well as research labs here at Mount Sinai. This is a credit-bearing course that provides students more time on our campus with their mentors and helps them further develop a scientific identity. Our LSS students will complete their end of term project that they can use to put on their resume and enter research competitions. These young men have made us very proud and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Biomedical Science Enrichment Program Class of 2025

The seniors in our Biomedical Science Enrichment Program (BSEP) are trail blazers in the realm of STEM. As students at the High School for Math Science and Engineering they have pushed the envelope as it pertains to pouring into their academic future. We will miss them when they graduate in the spring but are excited to see what their future holds. Keep-up the momentum BSEP!

CEYE Mentor Appreciation Dinner

This year we had our inaugural CEYE Mentor Appreciation Dinner in January. It was wonderful to have many of our mentors meet fellow supporters from different labs in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere. Words cannot express how thankful we are to have our mentors! Our CEYE scholars’ growth throughout the past years would not have been possible without their guidance and mentorship.

ODI Fun Day Summer 2024

This year we had our 3rd Annual ODI Fun Day in Central Park. All of the units within ODI were able to come together for this huge event and we are proud of the large turnout. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this day a success.

Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery at Sinai (MiNDS) kicks off this academic year with their brain exploration sessions for 7th grade students at our middle school partners. Students learn about the anatomy and development of the brain, sensory systems, neurological disorders and much more!

8th grade students from Patrick Henry & Isaac Newton Middle Schools participate in DWAS sessions at Mount Sinai campus

It's hard to not be inspired when you see the minds of young people come to life while they explore the wonders of science. This year we hosted Patrick Henry and Isaac Newton middle school for another year of learning the different human body systems through our Day-With-A-Scientist (DWAS) series. They enjoyed learning the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the different areas of focus and getting to dissect organs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. A big thank you to all of our volunteers who are current mentors, graduate and med school students at the Icahn School of Medicine.

CEYE Alumni

From left to right: Asuka Koda (Bioinformatics ‘21), Melissa Jimenez Camejo (BSEP ‘21) and Yolfrankcis Mendez (LSS ‘19)

Earlier this year we celebrated our 6th Annual Alumni Day, where we welcomed past and present CEYE students. We were excited to see students from as far back as 2017, who were able to provide insight into the trajectory and success of CEYE graduates. This just goes to show that once you are a part of the CEYE family you are a member for life.

CEYE Alumni Spotlight

Kudos to our alumni who currently work at/attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sophie Klingborg (CEYE Summer Intern of 2021), Yolfrankcis Mendez (LSS Class of 2019), Bishoy Yacoub (IP Class of 2018), Yasemin Schmitt (BSEP Class of 2020) and Tasmiah (Mia) Akhter (BSEP Class of 2020). We are proud to see them continuing to excel and contribute to the fields of medicine and research, carrying forward the values and skills they developed through our programs.

CEYE is a small but mighty team and we can always count on the support of summer instructors, ISMMS students, teaching assistants (TAs), interns, and volunteers to help us further our mission. This summer we had one of the greatest staffing teams who worked diligently day-in and day-out to ensure all programs ran smoothly. We had Dr. Ayisha Sookdeo, Dr. Deniz Demircioglu, Mr. David Columbe, Jay Johnson, Mr. Kasoorelope “Soore” Oguntuyo (PhD candidate), and Sita Sadia join as summer instructors. We also had the pleasure of four CEYE alums come back as TAs with us this summer: Kenneth Faveron (LSS class of 2022), Brianna Agyapong (BSEP class of 2021), Luis Cruz (LSS class of 2021), and Maryam Ibrahim (MSEP Class of 2021 and Bioinformatics Class of 2020) and were blessed to have two year-long TAs Mia Akhter (BSEP class of 2020) and Jack Vincent join us as well.

This summer would not have been as successful and fun as it was without each of them.

CEYE Summer Programs 2025

Our CEYE summer application is slated to open on Wednesday January 1st, 2025. This year we will be offering wonderful opportunities to New York City public and charter school students in science, medicine, research and more!

If you are interested in learning more about our upcoming 2025 programming, visit our website and sign-up for our mailing list!

Is there anything else you’d like to see from our newsletter?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: ceye@mssm.edu

These programs are supported in part by: The New York City Department of Education; The New York State Education Department/Science and Technology Entry Program; The Pinkerton Foundation; Health Resources and Services Administration; The City of New York Summer Youth Employment Program

Center for Excellence in Youth Education | https://icahn.mssm.edu/about/diversity/ceye