A’Darius Steele, a freshman pre-pharmacy major from Gulfport, has been selected to participate in the Health, Equity and Leadership Initiative Program (HELI) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Steele, a forward on the Bulldogs soccer team at the Perkinston Campus, was chosen for the program, which accepted just two applicants this year. The selection was based on his grade-point average, letters of recommendation and an interview.

As a participant, he is travelling to UMMC once a month to participate in various leadership development programs. He’ll complete required assignments and projects and will be mentored by medical professionals.

Steele has also been invited to join Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college honor society.

HELI selects minority male students from Mississippi’s community colleges for the program. Research shows men of color are significantly underrepresented in most health care professional programs. It is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and was created to reinforce the institution’s commitment to improving health equity in the state of Mississippi. HELI is a five-month program, but the goal is to continue to follow the students and to give them insight into the steps they will need to take to enter a professional medical program after they complete undergraduate studies.

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