Illiyah Edwards, ABSN'20, worked for the Duke University Pre-College Programs as a summer instructor this past month. She started planning a curriculum for gifted and talented students in grades 9 through 12 interested in various fields of medicine in December 2020. This included developing the course layout, objectives and syllabus for online virtual learning. Her course, "Health Care Professions and Modern Medicine," ended up being one of the more popular courses of the month and maxed out enrollment with 60 students. She coordinated multiple guest speakers in the Duke health care system, including chaplains, residents, surgeons, PA's, pharmacists and Donna Biederman, associate professor, to allow students access to understanding multiple roles of the interdisciplinary team. Students were able to expand their knowledge in topics such as medical, moral and legal responsibilities of the inter-professional team, social and environmental contributors to health outcomes, equity in health care treatment, and pharmacologic and physiologic effects of medicine. They ended the course with a group project to illustrate a PSA to either "cure a disease" or improve a current health care issue.

Edwards is a Duke University Hospital nurse. During her time at DUSON, she was a HEA scholar, Student Council president, peer mentor and ambassador. She has a vast history and experience of mentorship and teaching, and, because of her passion for education, she plans to continue being a part of this organization in the future! She says DUSON definitely shaped her to be prepared in developing an outstanding course, and she is forever grateful.