Welcome to our blog! MAP IT OUT was founded by Minh Nguyen, the 2020-2021 President of the UO Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS), in Summer 2020. Minh and the rest of the UO MAPS Executive Board had a successful first year!
This year, 2021-2022 President Sunny Zhang, along with the rest of the current Executive Board are super excited to continue the mentorship program and carry on the legacy that was left behind from last year’s graduating seniors. The team is hoping for the program to continue to grow, develop, and carry out its mission. We have lots of great things planned for this upcoming year!
MAP IT OUT is a completely free and virtual program that has only one purpose: to assist high school students in achieving their dreams. The program is meant as a way to give back to our community. We are funded by the UO Division of Equity & Inclusion, UO MAPS (Minority Association for Premedical Students, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/maps/), UO Institute of Neuroscience, UO Institute of Molecular Biology, and the Department of Biology. We seek to support high school students from underrepresented communities who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare or science-based research. Our definition of underrepresented student populations include ethnic minorities, low socioeconomic status (low income households), LGBTQ+, physical and/or mental disabilities, DACA status, first-generation students, and more.
MAP IT OUT will pair current University of Oregon mentors with high school mentees from our local community. Mentees will have the opportunity to connect with current undergraduates, attend workshops and Q/A panels lead by healthcare professionals, researchers, or current medical/graduate students. Mentees can also choose to participate in virtual UO research lab tours, annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, and be eligible for at least $2000 worth of MAP IT OUT Scholarships funded towards their college education. We are partnering up with the Oregon Young Scholars Program (OYSP), Summer Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL), and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Programs to recruit interested HS students for our pilot year. All information about our program, mission, sponsors, volunteers, and more can be found on this website.
Our team has been working hard to prepare for the program’s second year, stay tuned!
Founder, 2020-21 Director: Minh Nguyen
Contact: mnguyen9@uoregon.edu
UO Faculty Advisor: Barbara Marbury
Contact: bmarbury@uoregon.edu