ATSU partners with Marian Middle School on new educational partnership agreement
Posted: December 21, 2023
Representatives of A.T. Still University (ATSU) and Marian Middle School (MMS) met on Tuesday, Dec. 5, to sign a memorandum of understanding on an educational partnership agreement aimed at providing educational opportunities and support for MMS students who are interested in pursuing health sciences education at ATSU.
MMS is a private, all-girls middle school in St. Louis that is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. The school’s unique educational model aims to educate girls for life through programs such as its Graduate Support Program, which provides scholarships, connections to internship and career opportunities, and college access and success resources.
Not only does MMS support its students before graduation, but its student support services extend past college and beyond. Staff maintain contact with alumni, helping track their success and ensuring they have the resources they need.
“When you talk to these students and you say you have to go through high school, then you have to go through college, then you have to go to dental/medical school, sometimes that can be very intimidating,” explained Stephanie McGrew, MHA, assistant director of ATSU diversity & inclusion.
Through this new educational partnership, ATSU will offer MMS students leadership activities and opportunities within the Department of Diversity & Inclusion, tutoring, professional development workshops, academic support services, and more, all aimed at helping the MMS Graduate Support Program’s goal to track and support student along every step of their path to success.
“I feel super fortunate we have the support and resources to do those things, because not every university does. ATSU is definitely on the forefront when it comes to thinking of these kinds of resources and initiatives, because they put resources behind them and put the support that is needed so we can continue to grow these programs and build them so it helps not only the communities that we’re in, but future healthcare educators that hopefully will become ATSU alumni,” McGrew said.
The University has a long history of working with MMS, as they participated in the very first Dreamline Pathways event at ATSU-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH).
As McGrew explained, “They brought their third through sixth graders. The students were just amazing. They were so bright. They were asking questions you would think junior high students would ask about, just basic dental terminology, procedures, science, and STEM-based concepts.”
Since then, ATSU has continued to partner with MMS, with McGrew adding, “We’re not an afterthought, we’re a forethought. We do very, very intentional programming and planning and collaboration, and so I love that their leadership supports that. The girls we get to meet are just so enthusiastic, so bright, so smart, and excited.”
Not only will this educational partnership benefit the students at MMS, but ATSU students as well.
For example, students at ATSU-MOSDOH are required to participate in at least two volunteer outreach activities each year, as part of the School’s Dentistry in the Community initiative. With this partnership, dental students will have even more opportunities to volunteer, all while making a difference in the lives of potential future healthcare professionals.
In addition to learning and leadership activities and opportunities, MMS students will receive priority applicant status for ATSU’s Graduate Health Professions Scholarship (GPS). Awarded to accepted students, the scholarship provides financial scholarships of $8,000 and $10,000 for the first and second year of enrollment in one of ATSU’s residential programs.
“That’s why we have the golf tournament, so we can help raise money for that. So if people want to donate to that, that’s a huge component of Dreamline Pathways, because that’s providing resources for underserved students so that they can come to ATSU and help us with these Dreamline Pathways programs,” McGrew said.
McGrew is looking forward to developing more of these educational partnerships with schools across the country, and is grateful for ATSU’s unwavering support in developing innovative new programs to serve the underserved and develop tomorrow’s healthcare leaders.
“We could not do what we do without the support of ATSU leadership and the Board of Trustees. They are super awesome and super supportive,” she added.
Want to help support ATSU’s Graduate Health Professions Scholarship? Donate today.
