University High School Students Find Inspiration At Three Doctors Foundation Mentor Day

NEWARK, N.J. – Before Saturday, Shameya Souvenir, a University High School sophomore, had never met Monique Courts, an operations analyst at Barclay’s Bank. But it didn’t take long before they started exchanging their life stories.

“I just came in and told them what my interests are and my hobbies, and we just ended up connecting,” said Souvenir, who aspires to be an accountant and a culinary artist.

In the short time they had talked, Souvenir learned from Courts – a University High School alumna – something important to her future.

“I didn’t know that I could double major in college,” Souvenir said. “I thought that I was going to have to choose. Now I know I don’t have to.”

Conversations like the one between Souvenir and Courts were happening through the University High School gymnasium as part of the mentor day held by the Three Doctors Foundation.

The nonprofit was started 25 years ago by Dr. George Jenkins, Dr. Sampson Davis, and Dr. Rameck Hunt – three University High School alumni who achieved national notoriety after they became doctors. Jenkins, Davis, and Hunt established the Three Doctors Foundation by making a promise to each other to defy the odds and pursue their dreams of becoming physicians. Their story was documented in the book, The Pact, which was published in 2003, which was followed by the release of a documentary of the same title three years later.

“We just want the students to be able to look across the table face to face and talk to them, and maybe make a mentor connection as well,” said Jenkins, who is an Associate Dean at Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine.

Jenkins laughs a little when he remembers when he and his fellow alums were starting the foundation while still in their residencies.

“I used to always say, we’ve got to be the poorest philanthropists in the world,” Jenkins said. “We still have student loans, and we’re out here trying to give back.”

Superintendent León, a former University High School principal, expressed his appreciation for the day.

“Mentor Day is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when alumni return to invest in the next generation,” said Superintendent León. “The Three Doctors Foundation and all the mentors who came back to University High School are showing our students that their dreams are real and within reach. We are grateful to our alumni, like Drs. Jenkins, Davis, and Hunt, who prove that success and service go hand in hand.”

The mentors who participated on Saturday were University High School alumni and representatives of some of the foundation’s corporate partners.  

“When alumni return to uplift current students, they’re not just sharing advice—they are shining a light on the path forward,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council, a University High School alumnus. “I applaud the Three Doctors Foundation for their unwavering commitment to Newark’s youth and thank every mentor who took the time to make a difference in a student’s life.”

Oneeka Johnson, a project manager at Con Edison who also graduated from University High School, was impressed by her mentee, Janiyla Perry, a freshman at the high school who dreams of owning her own business focused on hair styling.

“This generation thinks outside of the box more than us,” Johnson said. “When we were growing up, we thought about becoming doctors and lawyers and not much else.”

“Seeing our alumni return to sit face-to-face with students, sharing their journeys and listening to dreams, is truly powerful,” said Genique Flournoy-Hamilton, Principal of University High School and an alumna of the high school. “I am incredibly proud of our students for engaging so thoughtfully and grateful to the Three Doctors Foundation and all our mentors for pouring into the next generation.”