Eric Mason |
Founder
Born and raised in Chicago, Eric chose to make the permanent move to Springfield, Illinois to escape gang violence, where he attended Lanphier High School. Despite being homeless, Eric went on to graduate Salutatorian in his class and achieving a score placing him in the 97th percentile on the ACT. He was accepted in all schools he applied to, including 7 of the top 10 ranked universities. He went on to attend Stanford University where he graduated with a B.S. Chemical Engineering and involved in a myriad of other extracurricular activities (Teaching Assistant, Chair at Black Community Services Center, Residential Assistant, Tutor). Additionally, Eric conducted molecular biology research and worked at Goldman Sachs in investment banking. Currently, Eric is pursing an M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University before applying to MD/ PhD programs, where he hopes to help address racial disparities in healthcare.
Kanicia Green |
Executive Director
Kanicia Green was born and raised on the low income north side of Springfield, Illinois. She attended Lanphier High School where she graduated 12th in her class and scored in the 85th percentile on her ACT. She was accepted to over 60 American universities and received several scholarship offers totalling over hundreds of thousands of dollars. She ultimately chose the historically black university Howard University in Washington, D.C where she earned her B.S. in Biology, double minoring in chemistry and mathematics. She earned Magna Cum Laude honors. During her time at Howard, she was initiated into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Alpha Chapter where she served as the Step Mistress and Corresponding Secretary for the chapter. Additionally, she tutored in biology and chemistry and participated in several biology research projects and mentoring programs. After graduation from Howard, Kanicia was offered a post bac position at the National Institute of Health, which she later declined to further her education at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She now studies here as a first year medical student in hopes of becoming an OBGYN. She also volunteers as a coach for the Capital City Dance Team.