Growing up in Dartmouth, N.S., first-year medical student, Leah Jones (BSc’13) says she always aspired to attend Dalhousie.

“It sounds funny to say, but all of my life I’ve looked up to Dal. My mom is a nurse and a Dal alumna, so my aspirations were a combination of that connection and Dal having a reputation as a great school.”

During the fourth year of her undergraduate degree at Dal, Jones was approached to become a mentor to African Nova Scotia students between grades 7 and 12 who were taking part in Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. The program, which started in 1999, encourages students to get a feel for the field of science and health professions in hopes of having more African Nova Scotians pursue health-related programs.

“When I joined as a mentor, the first thing I thought was, wow I wish I had the opportunity to be a part of this program when I was young,” says Jones. “I also realized I was telling these kids they could be anything they want, and I needed to follow the same advice.”

It was through her mentoring that Jones found the push she needed to pursue medical school. “Medicine had always been in the back of my mind, but I would quickly dismiss it thinking I wasn’t capable or it wasn’t realistic.”

“Finally there came a point when I realized – I can absolutely do medicine. I’m not sure if I would have got there if it wasn’t for my involvement with Imhotep.”

Jones continues to be an advocate for Black Nova Scotians being well-represented in healthcare. This coming February, during Black History Month, Jones is working with a group of individuals to host a panel discussion for the Dal community and the community at large. A panel of speakers who are Black healthcare professionals will speak about their experiences and encourage others to follow their path.

“As a young Black woman, when I see a Black female physician, it sort of feels like they are my role model. I want others to see the same in me.”

And for this reason, Jones recognizes the importance of Imhotep and getting this message to students early.

“For me, it all relates back to the importance of the program. If it helped me as a mentor reach a goal I thought was impossible, imagine the impact it’s having on these kids who are being reached at an age when they are just beginning to think about their education.”