In the halls of Bronx Science, where the culture of competition to get into the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities is strong, students take many different approaches to make themselves stand out. One recent example of this is with student-led passion projects. A passion project is a personal project that someone creates in order to showcase a strong interest in a particular topic. Amongst our talented students, each focused on their next exam or project, Rayhan Mehal ’26 stands out, as he is building something that goes beyond his own success.
Rayhan Mehal is exemplary, not for simply following the typical path of academic achievement, but for also creating multiple passion projects, and for excelling as he does them. These projects create a unique opportunity of his own, and invite others to follow.
He is the founder of the Youth Medical Association (YMA), the Youth Academic Initiative (YAI), and the The Mehal International Research Competition, three passion projects turned non-profits that were born out of a simple but powerful idea: young people, with the right support and community, can access hands-on experience in fields that often feel inaccessible for many high school students.
What began as a quiet local initiative among friends has snowballed into a countrywide and even international movement, uniting students with a shared mission — to learn, collaborate, and to become medical professionals.
In the Summer of 2022, Mehal created the Youth Medical Association (YMA), a nonprofit organization that helps high school students to learn premedical lessons and receive internship hours, free CPR lessons, research opportunities and more.
The Youth Medical Association (YMA) was founded by high school students at The Bronx High School of Science with a clear mission: to support students interested in pursuing careers in medicine.
“The Youth Medical Association hosts weekly webinars, providing accessible education to hundreds of students. Our curriculum features informative lessons on medical school admission and simplified MCAT topics,” Mehal explains.
Many young people lack access to the resources, guidance, and mentorship necessary to explore these careers. In New York City alone, the majority of impoverished neighborhoods are prominently Black and Hispanic in terms of demographics. A study by AAMC shows that only 27.9% of physicians identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian. YMA was created to fill this gap by providing internships, volunteer opportunities, articles on medical topics, and shadowing sessions with professionals.
YMA’s initial efforts focused on educating the public through Instagram posts and online meetings. Both these meetings and posts featured medical information on various diseases, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and different types of cancers, such as breast cancer and leukemia.
The posts also analyze specialized areas of medicine such as cardiology, dermatology, and internal medicine. Sharing this information was an essential first step in YMA’s goal to make complex medical topics more accessible to high school students.
A significant milestone for YMA was its partnership with the FDNY for a CPR training event at Harris Field, in October 2023. This marked the organization’s shift from sharing information online to organizing hands-on, in-person activities. Just ten days later, YMA had its first partnership of many with New York University’s Langone Health, one of the top medical institutions in New York.
Soon after, YMA collaborated with the New York City Mayor’s Office in order to tackle health disparities across the city. By launching the YMA Advocacy Panel, they began working on discussing important health issues that impacted underserved communities, showcasing the vastness of their ambitions.
In November 2023, YMA held a bake sale in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, including The Wishing Crane Project, an organization dedicated to creating paper cranes and other gifts to patients in several different hospitals. The profit from this bake sale was used to purchase items for donation to different shelters around the city. This event, which took place the week of November 27th, 2023, was not just about raising money; it showcased YMA’s ability to collaborate with other groups working toward similar goals.
By January 2024, YMA had launched its Department of Career Development, which expanded the organization’s focus beyond medicine. Recognizing that many students also had interests in fields such as engineering, business, law, and computer science, YMA adapted to help a wider range of career aspirations. This was a turning point in the organization’s history, as it broadened the sphere of careers that intersect with the medical field.
February 2024 was a busy month for YMA, solidifying its relationships with academic institutions. In early February they collaborated with SUNY College of Optometry, followed by a partnership event with Columbia University just a couple of days later.
They also worked with NYU’s Center for Brain Imaging and Einstein Hospital, both known for their cutting-edge research. These partnerships allowed students to engage with real-world medical professionals and researchers, making the study of medicine more accessible.
Since then, YMA has expanded beyond its base in New York City, opening a chapter in Stuyvesant High School. A couple of months later, YMA launched its first out-of-state chapter at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, California. This marked the start of YMA’s nationwide and international expansion, as chapters were also opened in India, Pakistan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and at Townsend Harris High School in Queens.
YMA continues to partner with prominent healthcare institutions. Mount Sinai, Columbia University and New York Presbyterian became integral partners, offering students research seminars, hospital tours, and hands-on learning experiences. These collaborations allowed students to gain exposure to the world of medicine outside of the classroom, offering opportunities to learn directly from medical professionals.
“Here, they have the unique chance to engage directly with healthcare workers and researchers, gaining genuine insights and invaluable advice that they would not have access to otherwise. These experiences offer an unfiltered view of the realities of a career in medicine and help members develop a deeper understanding of the path required to pursue such aspirations,” Mehal said.
Though YMA is primarily focused on medicine, that is not all that it does. Mehal adds, “Our efforts go beyond educational support; we have successfully organized donation drives, such as contributing essential hygienic products to shelters, financed by our community-led fundraising activities. Our community comes together to bake, sell, and transform sweet treats into a wave of change.”
Youth Academic Initiative
In the autumn of 2022, Rayhan created the Youth Academic Initiative (YAI), another non profit organization that allows high school students to gain volunteer hours by helping middle school students study for the SHSAT that prospective Bronx Science students need to achieve a high score on, in order to be offered a seat at one of the Specialized High Schools.
The Youth Academic Initiative (YAI) was established to bridge the gap in academic support for students in underfunded communities by offering free tutoring in various subjects, such as SHSAT prep, Algebra 1, Chemistry, Biology, and Geometry. Also under Mehal, YAI’s mission is to give students the resources and guidance they need to excel academically.
YAI started with a vision to help students succeed academically, regardless of their financial or social circumstances. Not all communities have access to high-quality academic resources, and many students struggle to prepare for major exams like the SHSAT, which determines placement in New York City’s specialized high schools. YAI not only levels the playing field for students from different backgrounds but also creates an opportunity for students to take control of their own education.
The founder of YAI recognized this issue and created a tutoring program that could provide free, comprehensive academic support. Whether students need help with daily homework or test prep, YAI makes sure there is a program for them.
All sessions are led by tutors from specialized high schools who have excelled in these subjects, and all have achieved high scores on the SHSAT themselves. Additionally, the SHSAT program offered by YAI is completely remote, making it even more accessible to students across the city. Students can opt in or out as needed, so there’s no pressure to commit long-term. This flexibility and the lack of cost make YAI a valuable resource for both struggling students and tutors alike. For the tutors, YAI also offers benefits like gaining experience, community service hours, and the opportunity to help students achieve their academic goals. Tutors learn valuable leadership and teaching skills while contributing to their community.
The SHSAT tutoring program, one of YAI’s key initiatives, began on September 4th, 2023, and ran for five weeks, concluding on October 2nd, 2023. The program helped underprivileged students prepare for the rigorous SHSAT, giving them a competitive edge in their high school admissions process.
On the student side, YAI has already proven its effectiveness. One standout story is that of Tali Reikhav ’28, a student tutored by YAI who went on to gain acceptance into Stuyvesant High School, one of the most prestigious specialized high schools in New York City—YAI’s tutoring program is having a direct, tangible impact in the lives of students like Reikhav.
As YAI continues to grow, its focus remains on providing high-quality, free academic resources to as many students as possible. With a foundation rooted in service and educational equity, the initiative has the potential to expand its programs even further, reaching more students who need support.
The Mehal International Research Competition
The Mehal International Research Competition (MIRC) was created to increase teens’ participation in scientific research among high school students. With an emphasis on mentorship, MIRC provides guidance throughout the entire submission process. The competition offers two categories, the Research Paper Competition for fully developed projects, and the Research Idea Competition for research proposals. Judges are drawn from prestigious institutions such as Columbia University and New York University, as well as from several hospitals, including experts like Dr. Douglas Bush, a Pediatrics Associate Professor at Mount Sinai.
MIRC is all about making scientific research more accessible to any and all high school students. Research can be intimidating, especially when students don’t have the resources or experience to get started. The competition’s goal is to fill that gap by giving students the support they need, regardless of their background or school. The judges help to guide students through the process, offering detailed feedback to improve their work. This provides a unique experience for the participants.
“In our highly professional environments [NYU, Columbia, Mount Sinai], our interactive learning events provide members with invaluable opportunities to learn respectful behavior and responsibility in healthcare settings. Many members attending these events are stepping into a hospital or lab environment for the first time,” said Mehal.
So if you are a student interested in healthcare, education, research, or pretty much anything, try joining one of Rayhan Mehal’s reputable organizations!
Rayhan Mehal ’26 is the founder of the Youth Medical Association (YMA), the Youth Academic Initiative (YAI), and the The Mehal International Research Competition, three passion projects turned non-profits that were born out of a simple but powerful idea: young people, with the right support and community, can access hands-on experience in fields that often feel inaccessible for many high school students.