By Alexis Clark
NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) — Inspiring words echoed throughout the graduation celebration for the first cohort of the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Institute Accelerated Pathway Program, alongside their loved ones at Tennessee State University.
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them,” is what Barbara C. Murrell, the chair of the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Institute, voiced to cohort one students who are about to embark on their journey as future physicians and dentists to enhance the future of underrepresented communities.
In a transformative initiative launched in 2020, Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical College joined forces with a shared vision to eliminate health disparities among marginalized populations. The result was the establishment of the Meharry Medical College/Tennessee State University Medical/Dental Accelerated Pathway Program. Established in honor of Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., a renowned heart surgeon and TSU alumnus, the program serves as a pipeline for underrepresented students to become medical doctors and dentists.
As the inaugural cohort of this groundbreaking program walked the stage at TSU’s spring commencement, their achievements mark a historic milestone. Their journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of TSU’s education and the commitment to equity in healthcare.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” Murrell told the crowd of cohort 1-3 students, faculty, program partners, and sponsors during the graduation celebration. “Yet a dream doesn’t come reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination, and hard work. And lastly, yesterday is but today’s memory,” she continued. “And tomorrow is today’s dream. So, dream big, I know you’ll make us proud.”
The dedication Murrell was referring to is the rigorous 3-year academic program that the 14 students excelled through, debt-free, as they are heading to medical and dental school.
During the celebration, cohort one students received program stoles that they wore on graduation day and heard kind remarks from cohort three students about setting a great foundation and example for the cohorts to come.
As all the students graduated with a B.S degree in Biology with a 3.5 GPA or higher in only three years, there were two students who were recognized for their outstanding performance by obtaining a 4.0 GPA throughout the program. Those students were Jaden Knight, of Dayton, Ohio, who will be attending Meharry Medical College to become an orthodontist, and Samantha Altidort, a Nashville native who will also be attending Meharry Medical College to become a family medicine physician.
“We are ecstatic, blessed, and very proud of Jaden,” stated his parents Carl and Shamica Kennebrew, during the event. Knight is the first in his family to graduate from TSU and the first to become a doctor. “We were able to watch what God is doing with him … just to see Jaden get the fruits of his work, his hard work, and his dedication,” Carl said. “This program is creating generational wealth and starting a new path for Black men and women.” Knight stated that he looks forward to addressing the underrepresentation of African American men in the field and improving underrepresented patient satisfaction. Among active physicians, only 5.7% identified as Black or African American in the United States as of 2023. While 3.8% of dentists in the country identify as Black, according to the American Dental Association.
On the other hand, Altidort followed in her parents Michel and Guerda Aldidort’s footsteps, who are both TSU alumni and work in the medical field. “We are here to celebrate Sam,” her parents said. “We are so happy and grateful for Sam. To God be the glory.” Michel added that, they advised their daughter to attend TSU. “And that was a great decision,” he said. “Now she’s ready to go to Meharry Medical College.”
During the celebration, it was announced that Knight and Altidort were selected to introduce President Glenda Glover, who was the commencement speaker as this year’s graduation was her last as an active president after serving nearly 12 years due to their outstanding academic performance. At the event, Dr. Levi Watkins Institute program coordinator Lalita Hodge talked about the significance of implementing a program with this much longevity to the future of our healthcare field. “To our future brown and Black doctors … we just wanted to let them know how special they are to us and give them a great send-off,” Hodge said at the event.
“TSU is going to impact the medical field. I think someone in this program will have the cure for cancer. Someone is going to have the cure for dementia.”
Congratulations to the first cohort of the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Institute Accelerated Pathway Program!
- Samantha Altidort
- Alan Bethea, Jr.
- Taylor Brown
- Camille Haskins
- Brooke Majors
- McKhia McCrary
- George Picken IV
- Ryla Traylor
- Chaun Cheaney
- Kayla Davis
- Xavier Erves
- John Kim
- Ashton Terrell
- Jaden Knight
More about the Dr. Levi Watkins Program
Tennessee State University (TSU), Office of the President, established The Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Meharry Medical College/Tennessee State University Medical/Dental Accelerated Pathway Program. The Program is named for a mostdistinguished graduate of Tennessee State University, Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. who became an outstanding physician, as a heart surgeon. He performed the first surgery to implant an automated cardioverter defibrillator in a human patient in 1980. Dr. Watkins, Jr. blazed the trail for underrepresented minorities in medical education. He led efforts to addressracial disparities and advance health equity for medically underserved communities in the United States and around the world.
The Institute at Tennessee State University provides a unique program to recruit, select, and support the medical education of a cadre of students from underrepresented communities who will become physicians and dentists. This program will increase the number of trained physicians and dentists from underrepresented communities who will stay and work in minority communities of greatest burden of health care needs, thus, making a significant difference.
To learn more, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/watkins/.
