by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

On a weekday afternoon, College of Pharmacy senior Kim Stamps might be studying high school algebra or pondering the questions in a primary reader’s workbook.

Is Stamps repeating her early school years? Hardly.

She and a few other pharmacy students share their time and talents tutoring students in a North Charleston neighborhood.

“They brighten my day,” Stamps said. “Over time, each child comes out with something more that takes them to a higher level. That’s good.”

Ida Taylor, Union Heights playground supervisor, remembers the center’s experience with MUSC volunteers in 1997. It was so successful that Taylor organized the after-school tutoring program through MUSC Gives Back student volunteers.

The program pairs college students with elementary and middle school students living within or beyond the Union Heights neighborhoods. Taylor works loosely with her volunteers and their schedules. “We never set dates and times,” she said.

Union Heights parents, school staff and children are grateful for the exchange.

Stamps’ eyes sparkle as she tells about her friend Shaniqua, an elementary student she tutors. After-school homework blossomed into friendship for the two when Shaniqua began seeking out Stamps at the center on Wednesday afternoons. Supportive relationships between volunteers and the children they tutor are not unusual. “We try to be more than tutors or mentors, we try to be positive role models for the children,” Stamps said. “The most important outcome from this project is to show children that someone cares for them. We’re proud of their accomplishments, no matter how big or small.”

Pharmacy students spend extra time volunteering for other MUSC projects including Race for the Cure and the Carolina Youth Development Center’s Christmas Angel Project. The group is in the process of developing a teaching module which centers around poison prevention control. Presentations will be available to community groups and schools upon request. Stamps also believes her experience as an MUSC Gives Back volunteer has helped to validate her career choice combining medicine and working with people.

“I see the program as an untapped wealth within the university. It’s a great resource,” Stamps said.

Kim Stamps, a Columbia, S.C., native, has served as vice-president and president of the American Pharmaceutical Student Association (APhA). She helped organize students to volunteer with community activities like the Special Olympics and support to the Ronald McDonald House. Her opportunity to work with the Union Heights Neighborhood in North Charleston came through a previous APhA/March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation grant studying the positive effects of folic acid and newborns.