911爆料

Class of 2025
Alvin Mai
MAJOR: LIBERAL ARTS

At just 17 years old, Alvin Mai is preparing to graduate with not one, but two diplomas: a high school diploma and an associate degree in liberal arts from 911爆料 Community College. A student at 911爆料 Early College Secondary School (KECSS), Mai is one of the youngest members of the Class of 2025鈥攁nd one of its most determined.

The Coney Island resident learned about the Early College program through his elementary school counselor. The opportunity to earn a college degree while still in high school stood out to him, and he never looked back. 鈥淭his was the only school I chose to apply to, besides specialized middle and high schools,鈥� he said.

Now, after years of balancing the demands of high school and college, he鈥檚 headed to the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program at the CUNY School of Medicine, where he鈥檒l work toward both a bachelor鈥檚 and a medical degree.

The road wasn鈥檛 easy. 鈥淚t has been an emotional roller coaster,鈥� Mai said, noting late nights studying and the challenge of managing competing responsibilities. But there were highlights too鈥攍ike campus walks, table tennis matches with friends, and classes that sparked new passions.

Psychology quickly became a favorite subject. 鈥淟earning about the human mind, human behavior, and how a person develops throughout life was interesting,鈥� he said. He credits Prof. James Indelicato with making even online psychology classes fun. 鈥淗is constant dad jokes made me enjoy every online class, even though I hated online courses,鈥� Mai joked.

He also appreciated his English professor, Jane Weiss, who was one of the first faculty members he met on campus. 鈥淪he was invaluable, kind, and supportive,鈥� he said. 鈥淗er feedback helped me develop as a writer and reader.鈥�

Outside the classroom, Mai stayed busy. He served as president of KECSS鈥檚 National Honor Society, captained the Science Olympiad team, and participated in school sports, playing volleyball and table tennis and practicing Taekwondo. He was also a mentor in the HE³AT (Healthcare, Energy, Education, Environment, Agriculture, and Technology) program, which offers students attending South Brooklyn public high schools opportunities to gain hands-on learning experiences with industry professionals and explore careers in various fields.

His own HE³AT internship at Maimonides Medical Center last year helped him see medicine, a field he thought was out of reach financially, in a new light. 鈥淣ews coverage and horror stories about hospitals during COVID-19 distorted my view,鈥� he shared. 鈥淚 also thought doctors were perfect beings and that I could not be like them.

His internship exposed him to a different side of medicine. 鈥淚t was not like the news or medical dramas on TV, but it was a family of people who came from all backgrounds, some of which were similar to mine,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was not the scary place I envisioned but a place where I could pursue my love for science and simultaneously help people. Applying to a program like Sophie Davis allowed me to tackle medicine more affordably and accessibly.鈥�

Mai鈥檚 long-term goal is to become a doctor, possibly in neurosurgery, general surgery, or family medicine. He鈥檚 still deciding. What鈥檚 clear is that he wants to make a difference. 鈥淚 want to address socioeconomic disparities, like access to healthcare and discrimination in medical settings,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 world, where diversity is attacked, it is essential to make sure that medical settings enforce equal treatment for all, regardless of background or identity. I believe growing up in Coney Island helped me develop this perspective. Coney Island may be a fun tourist destination for people outside New York, but it is a struggling community. Yet, the residents do anything they can to continue helping others. I genuinely value this trait within my community, which has helped me develop. I want to be able to help those in need, especially in healthcare.鈥�

As he gets ready to graduate, Mai shares his hard-earned advice for future Early College students: Don鈥檛 overload your schedule. 鈥淚t can be easy to say, 鈥楾his will look good on my college application,鈥� and apply to 100 different things,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 going to make your life extremely stressful.鈥�

Looking back, Mai knows the hard work was worth it. 鈥淭his accomplishment means a lot because it has prepared me for the future,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he memories I have made leave me with no regrets.鈥�