“Medical Advocacy is the paragon of a student club,” remarked Nancy Feidelman, Director of the Center for Community Engagement. “It has multiple arms and its leadership encourages other students to take ownership of projects while providing mentorship." You might even say the club is a bit like the fictional football midfielder, Roy Kent, in the series Ted Lasso; it’s here, it’s there…well, you probably know the rest!

In early February, the club ran a Blood Drive in the Community Room piloted by member Ashley L. ’26 that collected enough vital fluid to make a vampire swoon—AND save up to 93 lives. In the Lower School, with guidance from club Co-President Matthew W. ’24, members Jonathan E. ’26 and Camilla M. ’27 led the team—with the help of 1st graders—in assembling over 130 welcome packages which they delivered to the Oakland Children’s Hospital to help newly admitted patients feel more at home. Check out a wonderful video about the welcome packages project filmed and edited by Lukas D. ’25, one of the club’s two social media managers. Additionally, Medical Advocacy Club leadership along with Saskia S. ’24—who also serves as social media manager—brought Swab4USA, a student-led Be the Match initiative, to campus as Swab4HRS to help grow the registry of blood stem cell and bone marrow donors. They’re also developing a health curriculum to deliver to Lower School students. And that’s only some of what they’ve done.

The sheer number of projects they have organized, considering these students also take seven classes, participate in athletics, student government, fine and performing arts programs, and maybe even have a part-time job, is bewildering to us mere mortals. 

“There’s a medical advocacy movement on campus and I attribute it to student leadership!” exclaimed Ms. Feidelman. ”Not only is it so thoughtful and so robust but it is also steeped in mentorship which will ensure its sustainability.”

This year’s team is headed by Matthew W. ’24 and Mimi Y. ’24, two seniors who are passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of others, including their successors. They are confidently passing the thriving organization’s governance into the hands of younger yet equally engaged members of the Upper School community—Jonathan E. ’26 and Ebube O. ’25. This is not luck; it’s leadership.

Matthew and Mimi took over the club this year from Iyobosa Enabulele ’23—now a Bachelor of Science Candidate for Human Biology and Research Assistant at the Brain Dynamics Lab in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford—and both attribute a healthy portion of their interest in participating to Iyobosa’s leadership. According to Ms. Feidelman who has counseled the club since its inception in 2021, Iyobosa furthered the scope of the club from her predecessors as she was interested in examining the social determinants of health, learning about what they were and how to improve health by changing behaviors, and then teaching what was learned to younger students. Mimi and Matthew helped deliver the club’s health curriculum to 7th grade students last year.

“From the registration drives Matthew and Mimi consistently hosted to the weekly club announcements they delivered at Upper School meetings, I witnessed the love and care they poured into Swab4HRS. During my senior year, I had no doubt that they’d grow Medical Advocacy with the same love and passion. It has truly been an honor and privilege to watch them lead Medical Advocacy over the past year,” Iyobosa reflected.

While leadership has been an enticement for some members, each has had their own reason for becoming involved. Jonathan E. ’26 took up the call through a deeply personal experience. Drawn to the opportunity to increase the number of bone marrow donors—a gift he was able to provide his older brother Tristan two years ago—Jonathan became involved through the Swab4HRS program. This Medical Advocacy initiative spun off from a nationwide effort called Swab4USA, a student-led organization created to support Be the Match, a national nonprofit that helps cure over 70 diseases including blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma by matching blood stem cell and bone marrow donors with patients in need. When Tristan needed a bone marrow transplant, Jonathan was a match, and he went through the life-saving process of having his bone marrow harvested for his brother. “After such intense changes in my life, I realized I want to do more now,” he shared. 

For Mimi, working together with Matthew was part of the attraction, as was the scope of the organization. Acknowledging Iyobosa’s efforts to expand programs into different divisions last year, Mimi wanted to build on that framework, noting the work they had done last  year with Middle School students. No surprise that she is interested in pursuing medicine in college and is considering pediatrics.

Camilla reflected that the cross-collaboration with other clubs on campus was fulfilling and for her, being a part of one of the most productive clubs at Head-Royce was very satisfying. Though she feels more attracted to law than medicine, she affirmed her interest in staying involved with the club and continuing to advocate for better health. 

Matthew, an unpretentious source of strength on the team, echoed Mimi’s sentiment, noting that Iyobosa had laid such a strong foundation that he wanted to continue bringing medical advocacy programs to additional divisions, including Lower School, “to impact as many people as possible.” Matthew beamed as he explained all that they have accomplished, sharing his excitement to roll out a new health initiative they’ve developed for 4th grade students to teach them about four areas of health: mental, physical, intellectual, and social. He’s also proud that they have “such a strong team of future leaders.” He too is considering pursuing family medicine or psychology in college.

Research consistently shows that initiatives driven by passionate young leaders not only raise awareness but also actively contribute to better health practices and outcomes within communities. And the Medical Advocacy Club at Head-Royce embodies the transformative power of youth advocacy. Guided by mentors like Nancy Feidelman and inspired by former leaders like Iyobosa Enabulele, current leaders like Matthew and Mimi continue to pave the way for future generations. Their commitment to expanding health education, promoting wellness, and fostering a culture of empathy and service sets a powerful precedent for youth advocacy worldwide. As they pass on their legacy to younger members, the impact of the Medical Advocacy Club will endure, leaving a lasting imprint on the Head-Royce community and beyond.