At the end of 2020, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion spotlighted medical student Lamario Williams. In this article, Williams talked about his decision to create a non-profit, the DUBS Foundation.
Since the initial conversation, Williams was able to navigate and adapt the DUBS Foundation to fit the changing needs of students and teachers during the pandemic.
Despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19, Williams’ group was still able to award four DUBS Foundation Excellence First Scholarships to rising college freshmen in 2021.
Phase two, which will include pilot grants for teachers, will be implemented in summer 2022. During this stage, DUBS will identify teachers who wish to incorporate soft skills and art into their curriculum.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, “Being gifted at performing the technical aspects of a job can take an employee only so far. To become a stellar employee or an admired leader requires an arsenal of skills that are harder to measure but critical to success.” Teaching and fostering ‘soft skills’ and integrating art into the curriculum is critical in advancing a student’s career trajectory— hopefully making them prime candidates for winning a DUBS scholarship later in their academic career.
To support the organization’s scholarships and pilot grants, the DUBS Foundation team hosted a fundraiser, their Holiday Artapalooza. The kick-off event for the art show was held on December 3 at Gallery VOX in Tarrant and included catering from Fevers Side Chicks vegan food truck and Halawat Bham.
Throughout the course of the exhibit, which lasted until December 12, DUBS Foundation featured eleven Birmingham artists who displayed and sold their art pieces to raise money for student scholarships, teacher grants, and initiatives utilizing art for healthy living. Participating artists ranged in age, the youngest being local Tarrant High School students.
Williams explained, “One of the coolest parts about this event was getting to see the artists watch their artwork be appreciated by other people in the industry and community. While we had some established artists involved in the show, there were also high school students who got exposure to this kind of career development—and were even able to make money from their work.”
In total, the DUBS Foundation raised $4,000 for upcoming scholarships and grants.
Looking at what’s to come, Williams is excited to open up the pilot grant funding to teachers this summer and hopes to offer larger scholarships to students—with the ultimate long-term goal of providing full tuition.
Additionally, DUBS Foundation will be partnering with Vinegar, a local women-led nonprofit, to create a 4-week workshop that combines art and health justice. Artists and healthcare professionals are encouraged to sign up.
To find DUBS in the community, look for their newly designed logo (pictured on right) that was designed by local artist Mekenzi Esensoy or contact DUBS to get involved.