Albert Hicks

From the nominator:

“Recently receiving his M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine, Albert has proven himself to be an outstanding young man, with a genuine desire to share his knowledge and experiences with others. I have known him for 14 years now and in that time I have watched him grow as both a student and as a young man. I am the Director of Youth Programs at the Franklin Institute Science Museum. I direct a program called PACTS, which stands for Partnership for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science. This program is designed to get middle and high school students interested in going on to college. From my first meeting with Albert, when he was just 13 years old, it was evident that he had a keen interest in science and a desire to help others. As a member of PACTS, he got the opportunity to do both.

As a PACTS student Albert participated in activities such as science workshops, theater management, peer mentoring, and laboratory research. As Albert graduated high school and entered Howard University, he continued his close association with the PACTS program and its young members. Whenever possible, Albert would return to volunteer his time. During the summer of 2000, Albert volunteered with PACTS for almost eight weeks. He setup daily workshops, counseled students and created personal development projects for the kids. I could see that these activities gave Albert great satisfaction. One of our key projects for that summer was on environmental studies project at our research site. Albert took a lead role in this project and organized several groups of students into a serious research team. His work allowed these students to produce a year-end report on the environmental health of Centennial Lake, a historic site in Philadelphia. Since 2004 Albert has been a regular fixture here with the PACTS program. He shares his life experiences as a regular panelist in our Careers in Science Program. Through this program he touches the lives of hundreds of high school students in this annual event. Albert also conducts an HIV/AIDS program during our health awareness week, he sits on our PACTS advisory board and he still finds time to mentor students in our Saturday morning workshop sessions. This year Albert is again assisting us by greeting school groups in what we call our Laureate's Laboratory.

Reflecting on Albert's relationship with the Franklin Institute over the years, it becomes clear that one of his main strengths is his great interest in the general wellbeing of children in his community. I believe this is one reason why he chose to become a doctor. He is a very caring individual, an excellent example and mentor for PAQCTS students and all youth in the Philadelphia community.”