Largest Reach Out to Youth Yet Inspires Young Minds, Strengthens Community Ties
February 26, 2026
A typically quiet building where medical students pore over study materials, practice clinical skills, and prepare for exams, the Secchia Center welcomed a new kind of learner on a snowy Saturday. Children from greater Grand Rapids crowded in eager for a morning of exploration, imagination, and a first glimpse into the world of medicine.
“A child told me they actually wanted to be a doctor after going through the program. So, if I can just inspire one kid, that's good for me,” said Quynh Tran, a fourth-year student and co-pipeline chair of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA).
For more than 30 years, the Reach Out to Youth (ROTY) program has welcomed children ages 7-11 inside medical schools for free hands-on workshops designed to bring the dream of pursuing a career in medicine alive. For 12 years, members of the Student National Medical Association at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine have volunteered their time to Reach Out to Youth, planning activities and guiding children through a day of medical exploration.
“I really wish that when I was young, I had the opportunity to do this,” said Tanya Hammoud, a second-year student at the College of Human Medicine and co-pipeline chair. “Especially seeing people my own ethnicity, Middle Eastern people, teach me certain things. I would have been inspired to look up to them and be like, ‘Wow. I want to be just like them when I grow up.’ I'm hoping these kids have the same impression.”
Reach Out to Youth embodies the College of Human Medicine’s mission by providing service in the communities it serves, promoting the dignity and inclusion of all people, and responding to the needs of the medically underserved. For months, members of the Reach Out to Youth planning committee prepared for this year’s program. The theme “Movin’ to the Beat” focused on the three different types of muscles in the body. More than 100 College of Human Medicine students volunteered their time to run the hands-on activities. With 117 participants, they saw their largest turnout yet.
“I woke up, feeling like a kid on Christmas with such joy following the wonderful efforts of each and every one,” said Carolyn King, MD, co-founder of Reach Out to Youth, as she reflected on the day. “I slept in my clothes, like a little kid just wanting to keep every part of the day close to my cellular level of being.”
Using real medical tools, not toys, College of Human Medicine students guided children through dissecting a porcine heart. In another activity, a Doppler machine was used to observe heart function. And using a 25-foot-long tube of material, participants worked together to push items through demonstrating how food moves through the digestive tract.
"We're a community-based school, and ROTY is all about community. We want people to know the College of Human Medicine is right here in downtown Grand Rapids,” said Hammoud. “It really speaks to MSU's mission where we are focused on giving back to the community here and to show kids that they can come to med school someday too.”
The program extended well beyond the classroom. In keeping with the “Movin’ to the Beat” theme, the Bill and Bea Idema Atrium transformed into a dance floor featuring Sparty, showing children and their parents that moving their muscles isn’t just science, it’s also fun.
About 60 parents took part in a parallel curriculum that mirrored what the children learned. Nathan Hankerson, a fourth-year student and co-pipeline chair, led a session on Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, a specialty he plans to pursue in residency. He offered a lesson on osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and back and how yoga and physical therapy can help with joint health.
“Service is one of the main things that the College of Human Medicine does so well,” said Hankerson. “I think the fact that the students are getting involved, and the kids are seeing us in our white coats, we are inspiring a lot of people to be doctors one day or work in health care.”
“After 35 years of doing Reach Out to Youth events across the country, I have to say there was something unique about this day,” said King. “The volunteers embodied the true spirit of the College of Human Medicine. Bringing life, learning, and love to the celebration of children’s curiosity about how the human body works. This is what ROTY is all about.”
By Emily Linnert