LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville medical school students are spending their holidays volunteering through We Got Next Mentoring, which hosts free monthly sports clinics in the Russell neighborhood.
What You Need To Know
- We Got Next Mentoring offers free sports clinics and mentoring by young medical professionals
- The program offers free lunch and other activities
- We Got Next Mentoring meets the third Saturday of every month
- Registration is available online through Facebook and Instagram
Dakiyan Bradley is starting his winter break at the gym and is spending a lot of time on the court. He's a member of the Shawnee High School basketball team and a participant of We Got Next, a mentoring program through the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
"We try to empower the kids do whatever they set their minds to, whether they want to be a doctor, they can go to medical school or go to college or get a (get) job straight out of high school," said Ben Toebbe, co-founder. "We are here to help them achieve that."
Toebble is a fourth-year medical school student in Louisville. He and his wife, Gabby Ogle, founded the program in 2022. Every third Saturday, We Got Next Mentoring offers free lunch, activities and highlights different sports.
“We’ve had months as big as 50 kids and a normal month is probably around 20-25 kids," Toebbe said. "Overall, we’ve had about 150 to 200 kids come through throughout the year."
The program has had lasting impacts on students and their mentors.
"This program really told me that I’m supposed to be a pediatrician," said Micaela Parson, co-chief of recruitment. "I came into medical school wanting to do something completely different and now saying I want to be a pediatrician makes a lot of sense."
"Some of these kids I have worked with over the last three years just because they come to every single event. So being able to see them grow — not only in age but their skills, they are learning, they are listening and being a part of the team — has been incredible."
Students like Bradley said they're already looking forward to the next meeting.
"I’m ready for what they got in store," Bradley said. "I’m coming back every month."
The next We Got Next Mentoring session will be Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Southwick Community Center. Registration is available online via Facebook and Instagram.